All out of love
by Optimus95
Summary: Mason Baker is new to the town Crestmont and meets Jessica Davis, they both have hidden pasts they don't like talking about but to overcome their traumatic past they have to open up to each other if they want to move forward together to a brighter future
1. Chapter 1

Author's note- I hope you like this story and Mason is an OC character and the person I envisaged Mason to be is Alexander Ludwig from his teenage years. he's completely my own creation and I think he will fit in well in the 13RW fandom

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Lazy Dayz Motel Complex 9th October 2017

Lying awake in the early hours of my motel bed I placed my hands behind my head and stared up at the beige painted ceiling wall, I had trouble getting much sleep last night as part of me was excited to be moving to the town of Crestmont to be living with my Aunt Olivia, Uncle Andy and baby sister Hannah, god I miss them so much when they left Nevada. The other half of me was dreading I wouldn't be able to let go of my past and would finally live up my reputation my father had insisted would become me someday

I closed my eyes tightly and tried my best to calm down my body from trembling and go back to sleep, but all I could hear was my father's cold voice from the last time I spoke to him a few hours ago in Nevada State Prison before I left that life behind me

_'__You can hit that punch bag as hard as you like Mason in anger but you would have never been able to save your mother and Teddy from me' he laughed, slouching back in his chair _

_'__From a monster like you I wish you were dead instead of them' I snapped back angrily. 'You're no father of mine; I'm too ashamed to admit I even came from you'_

_'__We'll always be family Mason no matter what. You won't be able to let me go no matter how far away you run, Teddy and your mother will always be my family'_

_'__They are no family of yours anymore just like neither am I murderer. I hope you like your new home for years to come father' _

_I got up from my chair and walked away from that cruel man I call dad, I didn't even give him the satisfaction of even glancing back at him like I cared even an ounce at all about him…._

Feeling my eyelids shoot up all I saw was my blurry vision going back to normal when I was looking up at the ceiling, reaching for my phone from the nightstand I opened up the photo gallery and stared at the family selfie of myself, younger brother Teddy and my mother Natalie at the town's annual fun fair.

After reminiscing through some old family photos on my phone I swiped across and looked at the happy moments I spend with my other family. I loved spending any time I could with my baby sister Hannah, Uncle Andy and Aunt Liv when they used to live in Nevada before they moved to California for a better life. Just in a few hours' time I would get to reunite with my other family and see my baby sister again, I've missed hearing from her since she moved to Crestmont last year

I placed my phone back down on the nightstand and thrusted the covers off my body, feeling a few strains of hair fall over my forehead I pushed them back over before entering the bathroom. Turning on the shower I stepped in and felt the warm water gushing over me, I closed my eyes and leaned against the tiled wall

_'__You can keep calling me a monster all you like Mason but have you looked in the mirror recently'_

_'__What'_

_'__We're not so different you and I' Dad sighed contently. 'You'll never let me forget what I've done to my family but have you forgotten what you done to Jacob Johnstone'_

_'__That was a long time ago I'm not the same….'_

_'__Always excuses with you Mason but you could never take responsibility for your action either kid'_

_I balled up my hands into fist and raised them up in the air before slamming them down in front of me, all conversation in the room halted and seeking gazes searched where the loud clap came from, I wanted nothing more to leap through the thick glass panel and kill my own father for bring up his name….._

I gasped uncontrollably and choked on my own breath when I realised where I was again and not at Nevada State Prison, dropping my head in shame I let the hot water fall over for a few minutes more before stepping out of the shower….

Changing back into my clothes from the night before I grabbed all my belongings and pulled out my phone from my jean pocket, opening up a fresh message to my Aunt Liv

'I'll be home soon Aunt Liv in a couple of hours, I can't wait to see Hannah's face when she sees me later'

Smiling happily I placed my phone back into my jean pocket again and left my small motel room, dawn was just starting to break for the day when I crossed the car park to the manager's office to sign out and hand back the keys. At the reception desk was the same guy I met last night when I pulled up in here to check in for the night, he wasn't alone in here as an early morning Mexican cleaner was with him tidying up the reception area. Looking more closely at the cleaner I saw she had some unshed tears in her eyes when she went about her duties.

'Good morning Sir' the smartly dressed reception manager greeted

'Morning'

'Checking out sir?'

'Please' I nodded gently. 'Do you know anywhere around here that would be open for breakfast'

'Our kitchen won't be open for breakfast for a couple hours yet but there is a diner a few miles down the road or there's a McDonalds a couple of miles from here on the highway'

'Thanks buddy for the help' I replied. 'Early bird catches the worm and all that'

'My pleasure sir, if there anything else you would like to know then…..' he replied sweetly in an ass kissing voice

A small bump of the small circular wooden table caused the large glass vase that rested upon it to roll and smash into millions of tiny pieces, the cleaner bent down quickly to start cleaning up the mess she accidently caused

'God sake Maria, can you not do anything right?' The receptionist shouted loudly. '_Fucking bitch'_

_'__I'm so sorry señor, I mean sir'_ she stuttered tearfully

_'__You best be sorry or you're fired Maria, I've had enough of your shit' he snapped back angrily _

I knew they were conversing in Spanish to hide their true meaning of their private conversation, whatever hold the receptionist had over Maria I didn't like it at all and it drove me up the wrong way. I had to do something to teach the guy a lesson on how to treat people fairly and not to abuse their powers of authority. I looked over to Maria and saw her picking up the glass and putting the broken shards into one pile, she clenched her left hand tightly as I saw her blood trickle out of her closed fist

'I'd apologies if I were you' I spoke up, clearing my throat and making eye contact with Maria first before turning back to the receptionist

'Yes I would Maria' the receptionist stated

'I'm sorry sir for the mess in here' she apologised again

'_I wasn't talking to you Maria' I exclaimed _

They both widen their eyes when I replied back in Spanish to them, the look of horror ascend over the receptionist face as he knew I understood what he said to Maria. The sheepish look plastered over his face as soon as the ball dropped and he became unsure what to say next

'She may be foreign but Maria isn't deaf. There's no need to speak to her like that' I proclaimed, flashing Maria a quick smile. 'Call her an ambulance you selfish prick, can't you see she's bleeding'

'Yes…oh course Sir' he mumbled

'You go take care of your hand Maria I'll sort out this mess'

'Thank you Sir' she sighed deeply

'Call me Mason' I introduced

'Thank you again Mason' Maria smiled happily

Maria left the reception area of the small motel complex and headed towards the staffroom at the back, I brushed up the broken glass on the floor and disposed of it safely into a bag and placed it in the trash can. I walked back up to the reception desk as the clerk held out his hand in front of me; I cupped his hand gently and shook it

'I'm sorry for any inconvenience here again Sir' he apologised

'That's no problem' I smiled broadly

With my hand wrapped around the clerk's I tightened my grip and squeezed firmly, I saw the clerk bite his bottom lip and twitch in pain from my death grip, easing off from the pressure he made eye contact with me whilst trying to pull his hand back towards him

'If I ever hear from Maria that you've treating her or any other foreign employees like dirt I'll come back from wherever the hell I'm going and I'll break you, do you hear me'

The clerk just nodded his head at me hoping that I would let go from his shake of the head, I added more pressure on my grip and twisted his wrist to make him squeal his answer out that he understood my threat

'Let's hear it' I demanded

'I understand, just let me go'

'Louder dipshit I can't hear you' I exclaimed

'I understand' the receptionist whimpered

'That's better'

I released my grip from his wrist as he took his hand back and held it carefully from the intense pressure I put it under, walking away from the clerk I could feel his footsteps behind me getting closer, knowing deep inside of him the rage that burnt fierce he wanted to make me hurt just like how I hurt him. I stopped in my tracks and turned back around to face the man that wanted a beating to occur

'You arrogant prick' he slurred

The clerk clenched his right hand into a fist and swung for my cheek to land a powerful jab, raising my forearms quickly to my face to defend the punch I knocked his arm movement past me, quickly hooking his arm in my cubital fossa of my right arm and pushed with my left arm on the back of the receptionist's arm with sheer force, detaching his bicep muscle and breaking his two forearm bones in his arm I learnt from self-defence training a few years ago

'I warm you what would happen'

'I've got it on tape that you broke my arm' he gasped uncontrollably

Letting go of his arm and watching the clerk moved away to the empty chair in reception, clutching his whole right arm with his left as he sat down in one of the comfy chairs as I made my way behind the desk, ejecting out the dvd from the surveillance footage and placing it into my black leather jacket pocket

'No one is gonna believe you now'

I walked out of the small reception area of the motel to the car park while dawn had started to break for the day, Maria had joined me outside as well moments later to bid goodbye as she waited for her ambulance to arrive, I gave her my phone number just in case I needed to repay another visit here and teach another lesson to that asshole behind the desk.

I mounted my Harley Davidson Street 750 bike and drove away from the motel car park, leaving to find the nearest McDonalds for an early breakfast to start my long journey ahead to the town of Crestmont, starting a new life for myself after the difficult one I had in Nevada…..

After a few hours on the road I finally passed the border sign of the county that I had arrived in Crestmont, crossing above bridges that over looked the docks in the distance as this part of the town was getting refurbished. I rode my bike into the town centre and took in my new surroundings, finally finding my aunt and uncle's pharmacy store.

I hopped off my Harley Davidson and peered through the windows of the store, I couldn't help but smile like a little child when they saw their favourite aunt and uncle. Part of me wanted to go inside and hug them but the other half wanted to surprise them when they arrived home at midday for lunch, pulling myself away from the glass window I mounted my bike again and explore what else the town of Crestmont had to offer….

After lunch and cycling around the town and getting myself familiarised with everything here I decided to head home to the Baker residence. I pulled up into the street and could see an ambulance in the distance, my eyes widen when I saw it parked up outside the house I was going too as I sped down the road quickly. Watching two paramedics wheeling a gurney out of the house I parked up hurriedly and ran towards the medical staff

'What's happened' I cried out loudly, looking down at the gurney and seeing Hannah

A few short moments later I saw my Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy step out of the house and followed quickly to the ambulance, they both widen their eyes when they saw me stood outside their house

'Aunt Liv what's happened' I exclaimed

Aunt Liv couldn't say a word as she was still in shock over whatever had happened in there, she followed the two paramedics into the back of the ambulance as it pulled away from the house and headed to the hospital. I placed my hands on Uncle Andy shoulders to gain his attention back to me, he stopped looking down the road when the ambulance was out of sight and faced me eventually

'What's happened Uncle Andy'

'It's Hannah' he sobbed. 'She tried to commit suicide'

I couldn't remember if I was still breathing when Uncle Andy told me what had happened as I could feel my heart break into millions of little pieces over what my little sister had done, she seem ok the last time we talked over a year ago but what could have happened to her to want to end it all. Taking deep breathes I looked up at my uncle again

'But she's gonna be ok right?' I asked

'I honestly don't know son, I really don't'

'What did the paramedics say when they got here'

'She had twenty eighty chance of making it alive to the hospital but it's going to drop fast on the way there if they don't get there in time' he explained

'What are we waiting for? Let's go Uncle Andy' I proclaimed, ushering him towards the Jeep

I chained up my Harley Davidson to the wooden fence inside of the front lawn and rushed over to the Jeep, climbing inside the passenger seat quickly as I didn't even have time to proper shut the door as Uncle Andy sped away from the house….

For whatever felt like a lifetime on the small journey to the hospital I only dried the worst for my little sister, I made a small prayer to God to let Hannah live and give her another chance at life. We finally arrived at the Horizon Hospital Medical centre and parked up in the nearest bay we could find, Uncle Andy and I rushed through the front doors to the reception desk and got the details where we could find Hannah Baker.

The journey up the lift elevator I could only think of the worst news that we didn't made it time and Hannah had passed away in the back of the ambulance, the metal doors slid open to one side and we stepped out onto the floor. Counting down on the numbers placed above the doors as we past them to room 777, where Hannah was located in this giant medical building.

I pushed down on the handle of the door and entered the room; Aunt Liv was sat in a chair besides Hannah holding her hand and petting her hair as she looked like she was unconscious, I heard the monitor beeping beside her bed and the drip stand of blood connect to her arm, pumping new blood into her body I finally sighed in relief that she was still with us. Uncle Andy went by Hannah's side and took his daughter's hand as Aunt Liv came up out of her chair and embraced me tightly, I wrapped my arms around my favourite aunt and held her close

'Why didn't you let us know you were here babe?' she asked sweetly

'I wanted to surprise you guys' I sighed deeply. 'Do you guys want me to leave and give you some space since Hannah?'

'No' both Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy replied in unison

'If Hannah knew you were here she would be over the moon that you came and more excited that you're staying with us'

'You really want me to stay' I asked

'Of course Mason' she smiled weakly. 'I made a promise to my sister when you were born I would always take care of you till my last breath and I vow to keep that promise even when you're old enough to take care of yourself'

'Thanks Aunt Liv' I smiled happily

I hugged my Aunt Liv more tightly while burying my face in the crook of her neck, pulling away moments later and returning back to Hannah's bedside as Aunt Liv sat in the empty chair and retook her daughter's hand, I stood behind my aunt and placed a reassuring hand on her should as she placed her free hand on top of mine….

After a few hours of sitting around in Hannah's room and no sign of her waking up any time soon I left to get us some refreshments from the vending machine in the lobby of the hospital, a teenager walked through the doors while adjusting his navy hoodie and taking off his helmet before bending over to retie his converse shoes laces, after fixing his appearance he went straight up to the reception desk and I hooved close by to hear who he was here to see in such a rush

'Hi, could you tell me what room Hannah Baker is in please' the teenage boy asked

'Of course but is your relation to the patient'

'Umm….she's a…friend' he stammered together

'Just a friend' I stated loudly gaining the attention of the receptionist and the teenage boy, raising a brow slightly. 'I'm sorry but who are you exactly?'

'I'm Clay Jensen' the teenager introduced

'Just go home kid'

'I'm not going till I have seen her' he requested

'This aint an argument it's happening. Now leave please' I instructed

I turned the teenager around from the reception desk and ushered him outside of the building, pushing him to a quite alleyway so I could have a private chat with this kid alone

'What the hell man, just get off me' Clay argued

'How do you know what happened to Hannah?' I enquired

'Tony told me she was in the hospital I had to come see her straight away; I'm a friend of hers'

I remembered seeing Tony come by the hospital an hour after I had arrived with Uncle Andy; he had been in a right state of panic and looked like he had seen a ghost or some other paranormal activity shit, he stayed by Hannah's side for a while before he had to leave but he promised he would check in on her every now and again till she woke up

'Did he tell you what happened?'

'No he didn't' Clay admitted. 'That's why I came here so I can see Hannah myself and that's what I'm gonna do'

'No you're not Clay'

'Yes I am' he demanded

Clay tried to push past me in the alleyway but something deep inside of me snapped by his persistence to see Hannah, I grabbed a hold of his hoodie in tight fists and slammed him back into the brick wall. Clay's sense of fear dripped from his body as I held him at arm's length; clearly this has happened to him before and I felt sorry for the kid

'Please just let me go' Clay whimpered

As I stared into the hooded teen's eye my soundings changed before my very eyes and I placed back in Nevada, I wasn't holding Clay up against the wall any more but Jacob Johnstone and loud cheers of teenagers hung in the air as I held a closed fist, ready to strike him in the face after what had happened

'_Please just let me go' Jacob cried out_

_I watched as my ex best friend pleaded to me to let him go but I couldn't let him off that easy, anger burned the fire in me deeper as I wanted him to feel the pain I did over what he had done to me. I striked his jaw with a powerful punch which sent his head back into the brick wall, that awful sound forever staying with me till I die_

The reality around me shifted back to present day and I saw I had Clay Jensen pressed up against the brick wall and not my ex best friend. Loosen the tight grip I had over the teenager I slid my hands down his chest before they fell off him while I hung my head in shame

'Now's not a good time to see her Clay' I informed him. Straightening out his hoodie from where I grabbed him. 'Just come back tomorrow and you can see her then if you say you're a friend of hers'

'I will' he nodded quickly. 'I can assure you that but could you please let her know I stopped by'

'I will Clay when she wakes up'

'Ok thanks mate' he walked away from the alleyway a few steps before stopping in his track and turned back around. 'I didn't catch your name by the way, who are you I've never seen you before'

'I'm Mason. I'm Hannah's older cousin'

Clay nodded his head before turning back around and went to the bike shelter; he locked his bike and rode away from Horizon Hospital, I took a deep breath to compose myself before re-entering the hospital again…

On the way back to Hannah's room while carrying three hot beverages I spotted a dark skinned girl sitting alone out in the hallway on a small bench not that far from the room I was going to. I walked up to the beautiful young woman and coughed lightly to gain her attention, she finally looked up at me with tears in her eyes

'You ok Miss' I asked politely while taking a seat on the bench, placing my three hot drinks between us

'Yeah I'm fine' she replied coldly, wiping a tear away

'You don't look fine' I stated, seeing the young woman raise her brow suggestively. 'What I mean is you look great, honest to god you do but you don't seem ok'

The young dark skinned woman didn't reply back and just continued starring down at the floor with unshed tears still in her eyes; she must have been really upset visiting someone here on this ward. I guess she will become a familiar face I'll see here often around here and I might as well start getting to know her now

'Are you visiting someone here' I inquired

'Maybe' she exclaimed. 'I don't even know why I'm telling you this but I had heard some bad news about a friend I was once close too'

'I'm sure that friend would be glad to know that you're here for them right now in their hour of need'

'That's the thing I can't face her after everything that has happened between us, I'm pretty sure she hates my guts inside and out'

'I'm sure she doesn't, you can see her Miss' I assured her, smile weakly.

'My name is Jessica not Miss' she introduced herself, holding out her hand

'And mine is Mason' I replied back and shook her hand 'What room is your friend in?'

'The receptionist told me it's Room 777'

'That's where I'm going right now, come on I'll come with you' I informed her

I stood back up from the bench and grabbed a hold of the three plastic cups I had placed down, waiting for Jessica to come by my side as she got up from the bench. I was kinda intrigued to know more about her and what her relationship with Hannah was like that she couldn't face her, I started walking down the corridor towards Hannah's room

'So what have you done so bad to end a friendship that you can't even see this friend' I asked

I looked to my left hand side to see Jessica wasn't walking besides me down the corridor, turning around I saw Jessica was still stood by the bench and hadn't moved an inch from the spot, taking a step back towards her I was shocked by what she did next. Jessica had literally turn on her heels and ran the other way down the corridor, running as far away as she could from Hannah's room

'Jessica' I shouted after her to no avail

That's another thing I'll have to ask Hannah about if she wakes up who are these so called friends of her and what they had done to her. The door to Hannah's room open and Aunt Liv stepped out into the hallway after probably hearing my shouting in the quiet ward

'Get lost on your travels did you Mason' she asked

'No I was talking to some girl who seemed a bit upset, she just ran away from me just now' I explained. 'That never really happens to me, normally girls run towards me instead of the exact opposite'

'She probably came to her senses then and there's always a first for everything Mason'

Aunt Liv and I chuckled lightly before I handed her a hot cup of coffee and we re-entered the hospital room, I passed Uncle Andy his hot beverage drink to him as I perched on the edge of the bed, god knows how long we would have to wait for Hannah to wake up again….

Into the early hours of the next day I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink at all so I didn't even bother trying to sleep, Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy had wanted to stay by Hannah's side but I sent them home from how shattered they looked from the worry of their daughter and the stress of the store, they needed to go home and rest themselves. I promised to them I would stay by Hannah's side all night long and call them straight away if anything new happened during the night

'Please wake up Hannah' I sighed deeply

Taking her hand in mind I gave them a gentle squeeze and rose up from my bedside chair, I hovered over an unconscious Hannah and softly pressed my lips against her forehead. As I sat back down in my chair I felt a small amount of pressure against my hand, seeing Hannah gently squeeze my hand back and I looked up towards her. Hannah's eye lid's fluttered open slowly and I watched her gaze travel down her arm to who was holding her hand as she was just coming aware of her surroundings

'Mason?' she smiled tirelessly after her deep sleep

'Hey Sleeping Beauty'


	2. Chapter 2

I couldn't hide the smile from my face after hearing Hannah call out my name from her deep unconscious sleep for over fourteen hours as I rubbed my thumb over her knuckles gently, reaching up above the hospital bed I pressed the emergency button to call in the doctors and nurses. A few minutes later a doctor and a nurse rushed into the room and started checking her observations

'Can you tell me what happened sir?' the male doctor asked

'She was unconscious then she just woke up suddenly'

'I'm gonna ask you to politely leave sir while we check her over and run some test, then you'll be allowed to stay with her again'

'Ok Doctor' I sighed deeply

The kind doctor nodded his head before walking to the side of Hannah's hospital bed, he picked up the clipboard that hung on the side of the bed and reread his previous notes before turned his attention to the nurse

'Could you call her next of kin and let them know what's happening Suzie' the male doctor asked

'Sure thing Doctor Hardy'

'I can do that Doc' I interjected

Doctor Hardy nodded his head again as I pulled out my phone from my pocket while leaving Hannah's hospital room. Out in the quiet hallway I searched through my phone's contact numbers and saw that it was five o'clock in the morning, debating either to call Aunt Liv or just drop her a text message about what's happened that she'll probably read in a couple of hours. Hovering my thumb over the call icon under her contact name I pressed the small green telephone icon, my phone call being answered on the forth ring

'Hello' Aunt Liv sleepily groaned awake

'Hey Aunt Liv sorry for waking you up'

'It's no problem dear what's up Mason'

'I just wanted to let you know Hannah has woken up' I informed her. 'You need to get down to the hospital now'

'We're on our way babe'

'Okay see you guys in a bit Aunt Liv'

I ended the phone call and placed my phone back into my jean pocket, running a hand through my long blonde hair and coming to a rest of the top of my nape. Wondering back down the hallway to Hannah's room I stopped outside the pane glass window and looked deeply through the window at Hannah, she locked eyes with me and I couldn't look away from her arms before her attention was drawn to Doctor Hardy, god knows what kind of pain she was in before she tried to end her life….

Twenty minutes later Uncle Andy and Aunt Liv arrived at the hospital and rushed through the sliding elevator doors of the third floor we were stationed on, coming up to me quickly down the hall and hurried into the room as I followed behind them into Hannah's room

'Hannah' they both exclaimed in unison

Hannah couldn't bear to look into the eyes of her mother and father of the shame she must be feeling right now over what she had put us through, I know the exact feeling when I put my own family through it over what I did in Nevada to Jacob Johnstone. Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy sat on either side of Hannah on the hospital bed, both holding her tightly and showering with kisses while saying grace to god

'I'll leave you guys alone for a while' Doctor Hardy informed us. 'I'm come back to check on you later Hannah ok'

'Ok' Hannah said weakly

Doctor Hardy and Nurse Suzie left the room and shut the door behind them on the way out, taking a couple of steps forward I dropped my hands on the foot of the bed's railing and slowly lifted my gaze, looking into Hannah eyes I could tell she thought she didn't deserve the love she was receiving, too damaged to ever be loved and I didn't want my little sister to think like that ever again. Hanging my head in shame I heard the loud wales and cries of my aunt and uncle as I closed my eyes to erase this image that was burning into my head of seeing my family so broken…..

Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy had to leave the hospital and change out of their clothes they had arrived at the hospital in, they were quite embarrassed that they had turned up in their nightwear but their thought must have been elsewhere when I phoned at five in the morning. Every time I reach out for Hannah she gave me the cold shoulder and didn't acknowledge my existence in the room, all I wanted to do was just be there for her as I kept my hand on the bed near her if Hannah wanted to take it

After a couple of minutes I felt a small amount of weight above my hand on the bed, Hannah was holding back her tears when I got out of my chair and sat down opposite her on the bed. She kept her head bowed in shame as I opened out my arm and held her against me; Hannah sank further into me as I felt her arms around my chest tightly

'It's ok Hannah I'm here' I soothed

Hannah didn't muffled out a single word as she just nodded her head into my chest, I kept a firm hold around her and gently placed a kiss to the top of her soft brown curly hair

'You don't have to tell me anything you don't want too' I exclaimed. 'I'll understand if you don't but I do know some of the pain and feelings you're going through because I went through them myself'

'I'm so sorry Mason' she cried, seeing fresh tears leave her eyes

'Look at me Hannah' I stated while pulling away from our close embrace, cupping both of her cheeks. 'You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for Hannah do you hear me'

'But I do Mason' she sniffled heavily. 'Have you not seen the pain I've caused everyone by nearly succeeding, I don't even know if I really wanted to die or not. I was just in so much pain'

'And we will get you the help you need Hannah I promise you that'

'But I'm too broken for help or therapy to save me'

'Don't ever say that Hannah because it's not true at all' I admitted tearfully. 'I was broken just like you not so long ago and I'm better now, not the person I want to be just yet but I'm slowly getting there Hannah'

'What did happen to you Mason? The last things I knew from mom you had completely gone off the rails back in Nevada'

'God it has been long since we last properly caught up hasn't it' I sighed deeply, my mind flooding back with shameful memories I wish I could forget

'You don't have to tell me if you don't want too Mason'

'I do want too Hannah I really do…but now is not the right time to be telling you everything but I will, I promise'

'Ok' she nodded her head slowly. 'Did talking to a therapist help Mason?'

'At first I was angry that I had to go but I didn't have choice at the time Hannah. Over a couple of session she had got through to me and I did see where I had gone wrong and the effect my choices had on other people' I explained whole heartedly. 'Didn't mean I changed straight away but it did feel good to talk to someone how I was feeling with the world and if you do choice to go Hannah I'll support you because I know how hard it can be'

'Thanks Mason' She replied, pulling me back in for a hug. 'But I don't think I'm strong enough to go to therapy I've only got you, mum and dad for support. I don't have anyone else to support me through this'

'That's not true Hannah'

'How so' she exclaimed, raising a brow

'While you were unconscious yesterday you did have some visitors Hannah other than just your family who stayed by your side for a while even if they weren't in your room'

'Who came by?'

'Tony came by last night and sat with you for a while before he had to go' I informed her. 'A girl called Jessica also came by but she couldn't face you even after I tried talking to her. What happened between you two?'

'It's a long story Mason, I'll tell you one day what actually did happen between us' she exclaimed. 'Did anyone else come by?'

'There was some boy who came last night that wanted to see you but I told him to come back later today, he seemed to upset and angry to see you right away so I told him to leave'

'Did you even catch his name Mason before you threw him out?'

'I didn't throw him out of the hospital Hannah I asked him kindly enough to leave' I proclaimed, raising a brow. 'Think his name was Clay'

'Helmet came' Hannah exclaimed excitedly

'Who'

Hannah couldn't hide the embarrassment off her face as she blushed to an ungodly shade of red over her cheeks; I'd never seen her react this way before over a mention of a boy's name. She dipped her head before regaining her composer moments later and meeting my gaze again

'So do you like this Clay guy' I enquired hopefully

'I kinda do Mason for a long time now but I don't think he feels the same way about me' she explained. 'After what happened at a back to school party I think he hates me'

'Can't hate you that much if he so desperately wanted to see you last night can he Hannah'

Hannah just shrugged her shoulders before sighing heavily and keeping her gaze down, I knew she was thinking about how everyone is reacting right now to her suicide attempt. Liberty High will be difficult for her for when she has too return knowing everyone will be talking about her behind Hannah's back

'Do you want me to go talk to him for you?'

'No Mason' she exclaimed quickly. 'Let me and Helmet sort out where we stand between us ok'

I nodded my head whilst hearing the hospital room door opening behind me, slightly turning my head I saw my aunt and uncle re-enter the room after going back home to change. Aunt Liv sat down on the hospital bed between us and I turned to face her

'Aunt Liv can I have the day off school and stay by Hannah's side today' I pleaded

'I'm sorry babe but you really need to go in for your first day' she explained. 'You're lucky that they are even taking you in into the year this late Mason. If you go into today you can have tomorrow off if you want to stay by Hannah's side'

'Ok Aunt Liv I'll go' I conceded

'Oh your room isn't ready yet but we'll have it ready for you when you finish school this afternoon' Uncle Andy interjected

'Thanks Uncle Andy'

I got up from the chair next to Hannah's bed and said my goodbyes to all three of my extended Baker family. Once I was outside of the large hospital building I walked over to the bike shelter and unhooked my Harley Davidson, cycling off home to the Baker residence to get ready for my first day ahead at Liberty High school…..

After showering and getting ready for the day ahead of me I finally left home and drove off to Liberty High school, arriving at the school premises a couple of minutes late after the first bell for the start of the school day had already rung. I parked up my bike in the shelter and entered the school through the main double doors, wondering down the hallways trying to find the reception area of the school.

The hallway was quiet as class hadn't began yet and students were still in their homerooms, I pushed through another set of double doors and finally found the reception of the school. Walking up to the desk I waited for the middle aged woman behind it to finish her conversation on the external phone

'I'm here to see Principle Bolan' I stated kindly

'Do you have an appointment Sir?' she asked

'I do Mrs' I replied, spotting a wedding ring on her finger. 'I'm new here, I'm Mason Baker'

The receptionist typed my name into the computer administrative system and printed out a new timetable for me to take, seeing over what classes I had been enrolled into take during my time here.

'Principle Bolan is at a meeting right now but Mr Porter will be taking your introduction here instead' she informed me

'Great where can I find him?'

Moments later the door to an office popped open and out stepped a large dark skinned man, he folded his arms together and leaned against the frame of his office door before turning his attention over to me and the receptionist

'You must be Mason Baker, please step this way' he instructed

Moving past the reception desk I walked over to the man and entered his office, taking a seat in one of the empty chairs in front of his large desk, the older man reclaimed his place behind his desk and looked over an extra copy of my timetable

'First of all I would like to spend my deepest sympathy to you and your family for what has happened to Hannah'

'Thanks' I stated motionlessly

'If there's anything that I or the school can do for her you let us know Mason'

'I will Sir'

'Right let's get stated, firstly I am Mr Porter and it's a pleaser to meet you and sorry once again Principle Bolan couldn't do this himself'

'It's no problem Mr Porter'

'I know Liberty High is a lot different from your old school and judging by your previous records, it's not the standard we expect our students to adhere to but having said that everyone deserves a second chance' he proclaimed. 'Liberty High is willing to wipe the slate clean with Mason but you got to be open with us, if you need some help or guidance then don't hesitate to book an appointment with me since I am the school's guidance counsellor'

'Ok Mr Porter I will' I nodded

'I would give you the school tour myself and show you what's what but I think it's best if you have someone from your year group to show you around instead'

The minute Mr Porter had finished speaking there was a knock on his office door, second later the door swung open and someone stepped into the room, their soft footsteps coming closer as I saw Mr Porter gesture the person to take a seat beside me. Looking over to my left hand side I saw Jessica sit down in the empty chair

'Thank you for joining us Jessica' Mr Porter greeted. 'The reason why I called you here was if you would be willing to give Mason a guided tour of the school and show him the insider tour of the Liberty since you were the last new kid'

'I would be honoured too Mr Porter but I don't think we have any of the same classes together and I can't be tardy to my classes after showing Mason where to go for his'

'That's ok Jessica I'll write you a note to excuses you for being late to your classes'

'Great' she replied unatheistically

Mr Porter pulled out a pen and small notepad from his desk draw and then proceeded to write his note for Jessica, a few minutes later he handed Jessica the note as she got up from the chair as I mirrored her actions and followed her out of the office into the reception area

'So where are we going to start Jess' I asked, seeing Jessica raise her eyebrow at the mention on the shorter version of her name. 'Or do you prefer to be called Jessica'

'Jess is just fine Mason' she replied

Jessica held open the door that led out to the hallway as she followed behind me; she led the way in the quiet hallway as we began my tour of Liberty High school…

During our quiet walk around the school Jessica seemed more quiet than usual for a girl of her popularity which seemed quite odd to me, maybe Jessica still felt embarrassed how she just ran away from me the other night or nervous of giving a tour to the older cousin of her former best friend.

I stopped in front of the trophy cabinet of the school and looked at what the students of this school had achieved over their tenor here. A lot of team awards for basketball and baseball had been won here but nothing for an individual sportsman's to a title to their name. Hearing as few steps come up towards me I turned back to Jess before admiring the trophies again in the cabinet while fixing my hair from the glass reflection

'Come on Slick' she exclaimed. 'There's still more to show you'

'Slick?' I questioned whilst raising a brow

'That's my new nickname for you Mason since you seem too slick for this school' Jessica informed me. 'Also you seem to style your hair quite a lot I've noticed while giving you this tour'

'Do not'

'Oh you do'

'If only that could be true about me' I sighed deeply

'Which part Slick?'

'Being too cool for school'

An awkward silence fell between us both as we continued on with our tour of Liberty High school down the quiet corridor past busy classes, I decided to change the subject and let her know the situation with Hannah as nobody other than myself, Aunt liv and Uncle Andy knew about her waking up last night

'How's Hannah doing Mason?' Jessica asked, brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear

'Good news actually Jess' I smiled for the first time in weeks. 'She woke up last night and she's resting right now at the hospital'

'That's great news Mason'

'You should come and visit her Jess; I'll come with you if you like'

'I don't think I can yet. You know…see her'

'Hannah is gonna need us Jessica now more than ever and I'm gonna keep her safe this time'

Jessica nodded her head while I felt my phone vibrate in my jean pocket; I pulled out my phone to see a text message from Hannah. Opening up the message I saw it was just a picture of Hannah sat in her hospital bed with her tray of food, in large captions over the picture read 'Don't you just love hospital food' with a puking emoji. I sent back a few emoji's before walking along side Jessica in the hallway

'Thanks again for giving me a tour of the school Jess I really appreciate it'

'It's not like I had a choice in the matter' she shrugged her shoulders

'You could have said no but you didn't' I stated, brushing a hand through my hair. 'Where next'

'We're nearly done with the tour Slick, all that's left is to show you where your homeroom and locker are'

'Cool'

Jessica took my papers from my hand and scanned her eyes over the page, she pointed out which one was my locker and it turned out mine was a couple of feet away from hers. Jessica showed me where my homeroom was located next as it wasn't too far from my locker, a few minutes later the school bell rang and classes all over had been dismissed as students came flocking out in droves. A boy had walked out of class with his hood slight up over his head and went to his locker in the side corridor, leaning closer to Jessica I pointed out the boy to her so she knew who I was referring too

'That's Clay Jensen right' I enquired

'Yeah that's Clay Slick' she replied. 'How do you know him?'

'Meet him the other night at the hospital Jess' I informed her. 'What do you know of him?'

'Clay…he's quiet and shy in his own way but he's one of the good ones here Mason unlike some boys' she admitted. 'Why'd you ask'

'I'm not sure if I want him anywhere near Hannah'

'That's not your choice Slick don't interfere and be that protective older cousin'

'It is my choice I'm Hannah older cousin I have to protect her'

'Good luck separating them because they are always around each other' Jessica proclaimed. 'If they stop playing around each other then they might actually have gotten together already, they're perfect for each other'

'I don't want to hear any more of this' I groaned

'It's inevitable Slick'

Clay grabbed what he needed to from his locker and walked past us, giving us both a gently nod of his head as he met up with Tony and exited the school building. Liberty High tannoy switched on seconds later as a voice emitted through the speakers that littered along the hallway

'Good morning Liberty High, please give it up for your tigers baseball team who have started the season with nine to four point win'

The school front doors busted open and the school baseball team entered with their letterman jacket proudly on them, they high five students and soaked up all the love and attention they were getting from their peers over their impressive performances.

'Shout out to Bryce Walker who hit an impressive three home runs during the game'

A tall young adult with a broad body walked in front of his team like he was leading them and nodded towards me and Jessica as he was going past, everything about the guy screamed money from his haircut to his accessories we wore on his hand and wrists. The heavyset adult winked at Jessica before lapping up the attention he was getting from other students

'Jess'

I turned towards Jessica when she didn't respond to me and saw she had frozen up like a dear in headlights when she saw Bryce Walker coming down the hall, god knows what might have happened between them. I placed my hand on Jessica's shoulder to gain her attention back to me but she hadn't responded from my gentle touch, she moved away from me and ran down the hall to the girls room, this was the second time in two days she had ran from me without such of an explanation…..


	3. Chapter 3

Seeing Jessica run off down to the end of the hallway to the girls' bathroom I quickly followed behind her till I reached the door, checking my surroundings that no one was watching I slowly entered the girls' toilets. Apologising to any girls that I passed till I made it to the front of the cubicles and waited for the toilets to clear out, I took a few steps forwards to the only shut cubical door and grasped my knuckles into a tight hold before knocking on the wooden door

'Jess' I sighed deeply

There was no reply from her as I knocked a bit louder on the door just in case she didn't hear me the first time, leaning against the panel frame I dropped my head on the wooden door

'Talk to me Jessica, what happened out there'

'Nothing Mason' she replied. 'Just get to class and I'll meet you after ok'

'I'll go once you properly talk to me Jessica' I exclaimed, lifting my head up from the door. 'Please just open the door'

After a moment of silences the latch on the other side of the door slid the other way to reveal it's been open, with the tips of my fingers I pushed open the wooden door to find Jessica sat down on the toilet lid. Her eyes were red and puffy like she was holding back tears, trying not to make another scene in front of me which I could tell she was embarrassed off. I walked into the small cubical space and knelt in front of her and met Jessica's gaze

'What's wrong Jess?'

'Nothing Slick'

I groaned in frustration and rubbed my hands over my eyes before dropping them. 'Don't just say nothing when clearly something is going on with you Jess. Is it something to do with Bryce Walker?'

'Possibly'

'Did something happen between you too'

'No' she shook her head vigorously. 'Nothing has ever happened between us Mason. You just don't know what he's capable off'

'Try me Jessica I've done far worse than he could have' I slipped out, catching myself off guard and running my mouth loose. 'What could have Bryce Walker done that you can't talk about'

'Let's just leave it at that Mason' she protested. 'I'll tell you another time, somewhere more private than the girls' toilets'

'I'll drop it once you tell me that you're ok Jess'

'I'm ok Slick' she replied

I nodded my head and pulled out some toilet paper tissues from the dispenser and gave them to Jessica to wipe her face, getting up from my knelt position I moved out of the small stall and waited by the sink for Jessica to join me. She checked her reflection in the mirror and after washed away the mascara streaks that strain her cheeks, Jessica reached into her bag and pulled out her makeup kit on the sink, slightly touching up her makeup again like nothing had happened in here, moments later Jessica turned to me and raised her brows

'What?' she questioned curiously

'Nothing' I replied back. 'You don't need the makeup; you look good enough without it'

'I take it you were quite the charmer in your old school Slick'

'Does help saying the right things when you know someone has been upset'

'Thanks anyway for the nice comment'

Jessica smiled widely before putting her makeup kit away back into the bag, checking her appearance one last time in the mirror that she didn't look flushed to the cheek. Jessica opened the door and walked out of the girl's restroom as I followed right behind her out into the hallway. It seemed less noisy out in the hallway as students were heading towards their next class of the day

'So where next Jess' I asked curiously, looking around the emptying hallway

'We've got class Slick and yours is on the other side of the building' Jessica informed me. 'Hurry before you get a tardy'

'You're not going to walk me to classes Jess'

'Nope mine is right here. Run along Slick or Mr Schuester will definitely give you a tardy'

'Oh shit' I groaned

I gripped tightly on my bag strap that was hanging over my left shoulder and hurried along down the hall, glancing over my shoulder to see Jessica was still standing where she was and giggled lightly. I nodded cutely towards her before turning my attention to where I was going next, running up a stairway to my next class on the first floor of the main building….

The first half of the day just flew by in a matter of no time and students were on their lunch break at the school, some of the students had even left the premises and you couldn't help but wonder which authority ran this school to this manner to let that happen in the first place. After picking up two slices of pepperoni pizza, a basket of fries, an apple and bottle of water I paid for my lunch and looked for a place to sit.

Every high school lunch hall cliché came to life and Liberty High was no different as I looked for a quiet place to sit and eat my lunch, I spotted Clay Jensen sat alone at a big table with his head engrossed into a book. With no much options left in the dining hall I made my way over to the table, stopping in front of him I coughed gently to gain the attention of the boy who was lost in his own thoughts while reading his book, Clay looked up after finish reading the sentence he was on

'Mind if I sit here Clay?' I asked

'No at all' he motioned with his hand to the spot in front of him

I placed my tray of food down on the table and removed my backpack from my left shoulder and placed it down on the floor, taking the seat opposite Clay he went back to reading his book, the designs on the book intrigued me as it wasn't your usual image you would have on it

'What are you reading?' I asked kindly, unscrewing the cap of my water bottle

'Robert Goddard Fault line' he informed me, closing the book and placing it down on the table

'Any good is it' I asked whilst picking up a slice of pizza

'I think it's amazing, do you want to have a read of it'

'I don't want to disturb you whilst you're reading it Clay' I stated

'I've read it before Mason I know what happens in it' he exclaimed. 'You can borrow it if you like'

'Thanks'

Clay slid the book over to me across the table whilst I picked it up and skimmed through a few pages before placing it into my backpack. I picked up a couple of fries and scanned my surroundings as which people sat with who and what there clicks were, spotting Jessica sat a jocks table with some other girls that looked like cheerleaders I turned back around to Clay

'Has Jessica been helping you on your first day?' Clay enquired

'She has been Clay' I replied. 'She's been telling me who's who around here'

'Anyone she told you to avoid around here because there are quite a few'

'Jessica has warned me about Courtney and Marcus, she said they may seem nice at first but they would stab you in the back in an instant'

'I'm on the school's honour board and that it very true if they both want their way on something' Clay informed me. 'Has she warned you of Tyler or even Ryan for that matter?'

'Jessica has but I can't remember their faces, are they even here?'

Clay nodded his head and pointed out the two students that he had mentioned, Tyler was sat on his own and was busy turning the dial of his camera, probably going through the pictures he had captured today of the students going through their lives without even knowing they had been shot. Ryan was sat on the other side of the dining hall with a group of friends as they laughed and joked around with each other, he opened up his bag and placed some screwed up balls of paper into his bag and went back to conversing with his friends, I turned back around to Clay and raised a brow

'He doesn't seem that bad' I questioned hopefully

'If only you knew the whole story of that guy Mason'

'What has he done that I should be careful of?'

'Those balls of paper he's put in his bag yeah' Clay started whilst I nodded for him to continue. 'Those are someone's personal private note that they wanted to throw away from everyone's peering eyes he's gonna put them in his zine and give everyone a copy the next day'

'A zine' I questioned dumbfounded

'It's his own magazine Ryan has made for his college application' he exclaimed. 'It's not a very nice feeling knowing everyone knows your deepest darkest secret has been published and all eyes are on you for days because of it'

Clay dipped his head and avoided all eye contact with me and it doesn't take a genius to work out that this has happened to him before. I felt sorry for him and whatever kind of bullshit rumour got spread of him because of Ryan's zine

'I'm sorry man'

'It's ok Mason' Clay sniffled

I nodded my head as I offered some of my fries to Clay to take whilst I picked up my second slice of pizza, loud cheers cried out behind me from the jocks table as someone must have entered the hall. Turning in my seat I saw Bryce Walker enter the dining hall and sat down with his teammates, Jessica told me bits about him but I was still kinda curious why she was so hesitant around him when we saw him earlier

'What do know about Bryce Walker?'

'That he's a prick' he stated. 'What do you want to know?'

'Jessica also warned me of him but she didn't give much of a reason why Clay, I'm just curious to know more of him since now two people here have nothing good to say of him'

'No one has anything good to say of him unless you talk to some of his idiot teammates, they would make him out to be a saint when he's the biggest sinner here. Just keep clear of him here Mason Hannah would also tell you the same'

'I will Clay' I nodded, taking a drink from my water bottle. 'Speaking of Hannah she woke up last night'

'That's amazing new Mason' he exclaimed happily

'Don't tell anyone here about her waking up last night, last thing she needs right now is people knowing she alive and bombarding her with l text messages'

'My lips are seal' Clay stated, miming his fingers across his mouth like he had zipped them up. 'I'm gonna go see her after school'

'That's another thing Clay I don't want you getting too close to Hannah'

'Why'

'Because I said so Jensen she doesn't need you right now in her life, she needs her family around her'

'But I'm her friend' he pleaded

'And I'm her older cousin, there no point in repeat this from last night' I sighed deeply. 'Just stay away from her Jensen and I don't want to see you anywhere near that hospital, you got it'

Clay nodded his head nervously and gulled loudly as I got up from the table, slinging my backpack over my left shoulder and walked out of the dining hall, my gaze briefly catching Jessica's before she turned her attention to where I had left from, probably seeing a shook up Clay sat alone at his table….

The second half of the school day seems to have flown by quicker than the first half did like most days do usually after lunch. Whilst being dismissed from our homeroom at the end of the day I walked out of the school building and saw Jessica was a couple of feet ahead of me as I rushed up to join her

'Hey Jess' I greeted

'Hey Mason' she replied back whilst turning to see who called out her name from behind her. 'How was your first day at Liberty High Slick?'

'Like any other school in the country boring' I replied back which caused her to giggle slightly. 'So where are you heading now not that I'm following you'

'Nice to know you not a stalker Slick' she teased playfully. 'I'm going to Monet's'

'Monet's?'

'It's a coffee shop in the town Slick' she exclaimed whilst raising a brow. 'God you really don't know where everything is in this town'

'Not really it was a miracle that I even found my aunt and uncle's home last night without getting lost on the way'

'You seem stressed about something Slick is it something to do with Clay'

'What makes you think that?'

'I saw you speaking to him for most of lunch before you got up and left' she proclaimed. 'He did look a bit shaken up, what did you even say to him to get him like that'

'You're not going to like this and I can tell already' I sighed deeply. 'I basically told him to stay away from Hannah for good'

'You what' she exclaimed loudly

'I know Jess it sound bad even tho I don't really know the kid that well but Hannah needs her space at the minute'

'She needs her family around her right but she's gonna need her friends around her also when she's finally discharged from that hospital' she explained. 'Why are you so against Clay from wanted them to get close to each other, they are friends after all'

'Because I don't want them to date' I admitted. 'They'll start off as friends and become closer to an intimate level if they haven't already and I don't want to see Hannah get hurt again, not like before'

'She told me she hasn't been in a relationship before'

'Hannah hasn't and I know that for a fact. When she falls for someone she falls hard for them and I've seen her heart broken' I explained. 'The last thing Hannah needs is a boy in her life who's looking for something more'

'For what it's worth and knowing you for a full whole day, Clay is one of the good guys here just lay off him for a while till you can make a fair judgement call'

'Ok Jess'

During our walk into the town Jessica showed me around and what the town of Crestmont had to offer its residents, Jessica showed me the Crestmont movie theatre where Hannah and Clay worked and the charming bookstore that was a bloke down from the cinema. Jessica guided me where I could find the nearest gym as I had planned for a workout session later on today, this town might be small but it did offer a lot of recreational activates here like the arcade centre and the boardwalk I planned on checking out soon. After an exhausting walk around the town we finally entered Monet's and I really needed the caffeine boost now…..

After learning much more about Monet's and Hannah's favourite foods here I planned on bringing some treats from here on my next visit to the hospital later this evening. Pulling out the spare key to the front door from my pocket I pushed open the door and entered the quiet house, I couldn't hear any sign of life in the building as I walking around in the living room

'Anyone home' I called out

Jumping back from the sudden movement of someone's shadow I saw on the wall Aunt Liv came out of one of the rooms seconds later, she walked down the hall and met me in the living room and grasped frantically

'You scared me Aunt Liv'

'You did as well Mason' she exclaimed, patting a hand on her chest. 'How was your first day babe?'

'It was ok I guess, same as any other school'

'Your uncle and I have a surprise for you, come with me for a sec'

I followed right behind Aunt Liv to the bedroom she just came out of; she pushed open the door gently to reveal the state of the room inside. The room was immaculately clean with fresh sheets added to the bed; a wardrobe and dresser were pushed up against the wall with a tv and dvd player that rested on top of the dresser.

'I know it's not much Mason but I hope you like the room, a space to call your own instead of sleeping on the sofa'

'It's perfect Aunt Liv thank you so much for going to this effort. I really appreciate it' I smiled happily. Reaching over and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. 'It feels like home already'

'Your uncle and I have one more surprise for you'

'What is it?'

'Have a seat on the bed' she instructed as I did what I was told.

Aunt Liv walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a wrapped gift from inside the storage furniture, she sat down next to me on the bed and turned towards me before handing the wrapped gift over.

'It's just a little something we hope you like it' Aunt Liv proclaimed

I ripped off the wrapping paper on the box and saw it was console box of a PS4, tears welled up in my eyes that they went to this expenses that I would feel at home here with them when I didn't really need the console but just my family around me instead

'Thanks Aunt Liv I really appreciate it'

'It was a little something for you so you don't get bored in here'

'Thanks once again for this' I sighed contently. 'I love you guys so goddamn much'

Aunt Liv patted my hand that rested over the console box and rose up from the bed before leaving the room, placing the box to the side of me on the bed I pulled out my phone and keys, feeling that there was something else inside my jacket pocket I reached in and pulled out what was inside. I saw the unmarked disc was still in here that I totally forget about, creeping up towards the bedroom door I quietly pushed it shut while making my way over to the dvd player, I inserted the disc into the device and turned on the tv

Moments later I was re-watching the events that took placed at the motel a couple of nights ago, I didn't once wince or gasp at the beating I was giving the man, I couldn't feel no shame over my actions from when it happened till watching it again on the tv.

_'__What the fuck is the matter with you?' my dad shouted at the top of his lungs. 'Look at me when I'm talking to you Mason'_

I could hear my father's voice as crystal clear as day when I was called down to the principle office of my old school, that was one of the worst days of my life that I wish I'd never relive again, the memories and scars of that day burns deep inside my soul

Looking back up from the floor to the tv screen it was like I had gone back in time and was placed inside the office again, re-watching the surveillance footage of what I had just done just minutes ago instead of seeing the beating and busting the guy's arm at the motel over the way he acted

Ejecting the disc from the player after watching the incident again twice I placed the dvd inside the draw of my nightstand. I changed out of my clothes and into some fresh gym clothes that I placed on top in my suitcase. I told my Aunt Liv that I would home in a couple of hours as I went into the town to find the gym that Jessica told this town had….

Twenty minutes later I found the City Gym building I was told about and stood outside, seeing a red Mustang parked out front of the shop I knew I would bump into Tony here. I pushed open the door of the gym and saw that it was quiet busy inside; I walked up to the desk and met a dark skinned man who was working behind the desk

'Hey, can I help you' he greeted kindly

'I was just wondering how much a gym session is here'

'Ten dollars a session buddy but it's cheaper to be on a membership scheme here than anywhere else in the town'

'Can I get a membership form please?'

'Sure thing'

The guy behind the desk pulled a form from one of his desk drawers and slid it across to me, taking the piece of paper I placed it inside my bag and pulled out my wallet, paying for my workout session here.

'Do I give the form back to you or any other member of staff?'

'You can give it to anyone that works here and tell them to give this to Caleb which is me'

'Nice to meet you I'm Mason' I greeted whist holding my hand out

'Pleasure to meet you Mason' he replied, shaking my hand. 'If there's anything you need let me know'

I nodded my head and left the reception desk to find the locker room where I could store my bag, I met Tony in there just as he was on his way out and I informed him of the good news regarding Hannah too much to both of our relief. Tying the locker key wristband onto my drinks bottle I finally letf the changing rooms to start my workout

After getting myself loose with a few stretches, jumping rope and a couple sets on each arm with the dumbbells I was fully warmed up for session ahead. Stepping over to a spare punch bag I raised my clenched fists in front of me, keeping my arms closely tucked in I shifted my right arm forward to make contact with the bag, my arms switching every time I stuck the bag

_'__How could you betray me like that Jacob?' I questioned furiously, pushing him up against the wall and slamming a punch into his stomach_

With each punch landing harder and harder against the bag I only felt this venomous rage once before in my life, a day that would set off a chain reaction that no one would have seen coming. Clearing those thoughts away I turned my attention towards the bag again with more aggression this time

_'__I loved you like a brother and this is the thanks I get'_

I threw a lot of combinations at the punch bag with every blow and cross punch I gave to it, the bag had started to swing from the momentum I was giving it from the heavy blow. Taking short sharp breathes I striked harder than I ever had since that day at my old school with the big fight, the bag had come off its chain from the ceiling attached to the hook and fell to a heap on the floor.

_'__You're lucky I didn't kill you' I sighed heavily after landing my heaviest blow_

The sound of the bag hitting the floor caused everyone in the gym to stop whatever workout they were doing and looked at where the noise had come from. I apologised for the noise and walked over to the bag on the floor, picking it up from the chain and clamping it back on the hook that it had fallen from. I retook my stance again in front of the punch bag and threw some light punches, someone at the corner of my eye appeared out of the crowd and came towards me, the guy was middle aged and dressed in some Liberty High uniforms that he chose to workout in

'Can I help you?' I questioned whilst raising a brow to the middle aged man before me

'You got some talent kid' he proclaimed

'Who are you?'

'I'm coach Patrick' he introduced. 'We both go to Liberty High school, let's have a chat'

I nodded my head and grabbed my water bottle off from the floor; taking a quick drink I followed the older man to an empty bench in the gym to find out what he wanted from me…..


	4. Chapter 4

Coach Patrick and I sat down on an empty bench in the gym studio, his gaze was focused on two teenage girls that sported Liberty High t shirts; guess they were both members of one of the sports teams at the school. Coach Patrick licked his lips suggestively and kept his eyes on both of their rears before turning towards me on the bench

'What did you want to talk to me about Mr Patrick?' I asked

'Call me coach' he assured in a smooth voice

'I rather wouldn't outside of school hours' I proclaimed. 'What's so important that you wanted to disturb me during my work out?'

'I couldn't help but notice you on the bag Mason' Mr Patrick began, an infectious smile appearing on his face. 'You've got some real talent kid'

'Thanks I guess'

'What I am trying to say is Mason…under the right coaching and training you could be the next biggest thing in American boxing'

'I don't know about that Mr Patrick' I protested

'You could be one of the greats like Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather or even the great Joe Lewis'

'This all sounds promising but what's in it for you Mr Patrick if you don't mind me asking'

'Nothing' he replied. 'I just see potential in students that don't see it in themselves but all I ask for is one thing in return'

'What's that' I enquired, raising a brow

'Loyalty'

'To you?'

'If I'm putting in a lot of time and effort to advance a student of mine career then I want to know I can count on them one day for a favour if I need one to help me out of a situation' Mr Patrick eluded. 'Can I count on you Mason?'

I was a bit skeptical about his proposal at first but who wouldn't give anything at a shot of frame, maybe I need to ask Clay or Jessica what they know about Coach Patrick and his little recruitment service before I show true loyalty to him and follow him down any path he may lead me on. I nodded my head slightly as Mr Patrick patted my thigh supportively at the decision I had just made.

'I knew you would see it that way Mason' he exclaimed happily. 'If you need a little help with your workouts let me know'

'What kind of help Mr Patrick?'

'You know, if you need a boost to get a certain result' he winked unsubtly

'Oh' I exclaimed

'Come by my office at Liberty if you need a fix of something'

The dawn of realisation hit me hard in the face about what I was getting myself into with Coach Patrick, I won't be ever visiting that office anytime soon for a fix because I plan to only fight clean, cheating in any aspect of life is totally what I'm not about at all if I want to be where I see my future self being.

Mr Patrick got up from the bench and eye balled the two young girls again and adjusted his tracksuit pants to hide his growing erection, I got bad vibes from just being around him and that only proved to myself he wasn't as clean as he might make out to be to the education board, I needed to keep an eye on him just in case I needed to take him down one day.

As soon as the school coach left the gym and headed god knows where I finally got up from the bench and resumed back to my bag, checking my stance and raising my fist towards the bag to strike Caleb left from behind the desk and came up to the side of me as I continued striking the bag furiously

'Can I have word with you please?' Caleb asked kindly

'Make it quick I'm busy' I breathed in short sharp breathes, striking the bag harder

'Stay away from Robert Patricks' he exclaimed. 'He'll fuck up your life Mason, he's done it to loads of kids. You're just the next idiot in line'

'How do you know that Caleb'

'Look around you Mason and tell me what you see'

I stopped punching the bag and placed a firm grip on it to stop it swing about from the momentum I created, looking around the gym like Caleb had asked I saw nothing but other gym goers here that look a bit older than me and were probably in college

'I see nothing out of the unordinary Caleb, what's your point exactly'

'Every single guy here has once been taken under Coach Patrick wing. He likes to pick kids up who he thinks can be big one day and when things go pear shape he drops them in a huge mess he created for them. I bet he's invited you to his office at the school hasn't he'

'Yeah he has' I sighed deeply

'Just don't take anything he gives you Mason, stay clean whilst you still can'

'Wait' I exasperated. 'How do you know about that?'

'My best friend was taken under his wing and he got him hooked on Androstenedione, he was taking injections twice a day to be ready for his first big fight' Caleb informed me. 'Long story short he lost and Coach Patrick dropped him and found another new kid to be his star assets, Coach Patrick still kept on dealing to him for a while after he dropped him and my best friend came clean to me about his ordeal and I took him to rehab for his addiction'

'Shit I didn't know that'

'No one does really Mason but the point I'm making is, Coach Patrick has gotten everyone of these guys here hooked on some AAS drug. I don't want to see you become his next victim'

'Thanks Caleb for the heads up on him'

'If you want to stay clean and still be legal to fight then I'll help you with that Mason, I'll get you the right supplements you need to fight'

'Thanks Caleb for everything you've told me'

I held up my right hand and closed my fist in front of him as Caleb had done the same, we fist bumped each other before he went back behind his desk to continue on what he was doing as I continued on with my work out for the day…

After spending an hour and half at the gym for an intense cardio workout I returned back home to take a shower before I would leave for the evening and spent a couple of hours in the hospital with Hannah, I couldn't wait to tell her how my first day went in the town of Crestmont.

Once I changed into a fresh set of clean clothes I placed my leather jacket over my shoulders and slid my arms through the sleeves, I left my bedroom and locked up the house as Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy would still be at the store for a couple more hours. Remembering the picture Hannah sent me of her food at the hospital I knew I had to get her some treats whilst she's still in there. I left the porch of the house and went to Monet's to a get a pick me up for Hannah….

Walking down the corridor of the hospital with a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and a box full of donuts and cakes in the other. Jessica rounded the corner of the hallway where Hannah's room was located; I guess she finally had the courage to see her friend after all

'Hey Jess'

'Hey Slick' she greeted warmly. 'Guess you took my advice about Monet's'

'Well I thought I might surprise Hannah with some treats' I exclaimed. 'Sure you don't want to stay for some sugary goodness'

'As much as I would like too Slick I've got plans for this evening, maybe some other time'

'Well at least take a donut as a thank you from me for showing me around the town and the school as well'

'Thanks' she smiled happily

Jessica flipped open the lid of the box in my hand and pulled a chocolate covered donut with sprinkles, she closed the lid with her other hand and took a small bite out of the baked goods

'I'll catch you around Jess maybe' I suggested hopefully

'You will' she teased whilst wiping her mouth. 'Oh if I were you Slick I'd go easy on him'

'What do you mean Jess?'

'You'll see soon enough'

Jessica thanked me for the donut again and walked down to the end of the corridor to the elevator, surely she wasn't preluding to me that Clay was here even after I deliberately told him to stay away. Rushing down the hallway to Hannah's room I stopped outside the door and glanced through the glass window to see Clay was in the room, he and Hannah were sat close to each other on the bed only being separated by a matter of inches. The door was left ajar and I couldn't help but ease drop on their conversation

'I'm so sorry Hannah I wasn't there for you when I should have been' he cried. 'I saw you were in pain but I never reached out to you when I should have'

'It's ok Clay. What happened to me is not your fault'

'But it feels like it is my fault Hannah, that day you tried to talk to me but I pushed you away because I was hurt over what happened the night before. I shouldn't have done that, I was just still mad about what happened'

'Helmet its fine believe me' she assured. 'I gave you mixed signals that night but honestly, I liked what you were doing'

'Then what happened with you, the next minute you freaked out on me without telling me what I had done wrong'

'Everything we were doing my mind flashed to how every other guy had treated me and they all become you when we were making out'

'I'm so sorry for the way every boy treated you Hannah at Liberty but everything is gonna change now' Clay proclaimed. 'I'm gonna treat you the way you deserved to be treated and I won't let anyone hurt you ever again'

'Thanks Clay' she sighed contently

Clay took hold of Hannah's hands and gently rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles, they kept hold of each other hands as they didn't want to be apart from one another in the slightest

'Did you really want to end your life Hannah?'

'I think I really did Helmet' she admitted tearfully. 'I couldn't see a future for myself when I laid in that bath tub, but now I can see a small white light in a dark sky to try to live every day and make it count because of the second chance I was given '

'Can you tell me what led you to want to end it all?'

'I can't Helmet you'll never look at me the same way again if you knew everything'

Hannah's eyes puffed up red and tears fell freely from her eyes that she couldn't control, Clay immediately jerked forward and wrapped his arms around her body reassuringly, soothing her carefully as she cried into his chest

'If you can't tell me for whatever reason then that's fine Hannah, but I do hope you can tell me one day so I can understand'

'Ok Helmet' Hannah sniffled as she pulled away from his chest and looked into his eyes

'I don't want you to ever have those thoughts again that made you think you didn't have any other options left' Clay exclaimed. 'Came and confide in me and we'll talk it through Hannah, I don't want any secrets between us now you're my best friend after all'

Hannah nodded her head and kept a close grip around Clay's body, not wanting to let the boy go from her grasp. 'Will you come when they discharge me from the hospital?'

'Of course Hannah' he assured. 'When are you allowed to leave?'

'In a couple of days'

'As much as I want to be by your side when you're discharged I don't think Mason would approve of me being here'

'Why?' she asked, raising a brow and pulled away from Clay's chest

'He doesn't like me Hannah at all. When we chatted today at lunch he made it pretty clear that I should stay far away from you as possible'

'He's just acting out Helmet' Hannah proclaimed. 'I don't know the details but he's been through a lot before he moved in with us. He's just being protective of me like he's always done his whole life'

'Could you maybe have a chat with him and get him off my back about seeing you Hannah'

'Too scared to do that yourself Helmet'

'Yeah' he nodded. 'Got a feeling he would break every bone in my body if I had another chat with him'

'I won't let Mason lay a finger on you Helmet'

'Thanks'

Clay opened up his arm and embraced Hannah into a tight comforting hug, Hannah melted into their embrace and I've never seen her smile the way she did about this boy or any other boy for the matter. If the inevitable is going to happen between them then I want to know if Clay is strong enough to defend them both and prove me wrong about him.

Composing myself like I didn't know and expect to see Clay when I entered the room, I loudly rasped my knuckles on the thick oak door before pushing the handle down and letting myself into the room. Clay and Hannah jumped back from the sudden noise and pulled apart in an instance

'Thought I told you to stay away from her Clay' I proclaimed, huffing loudly

'You did Mason but I just couldn't do that' he replied whilst getting off the bed, squaring up in front of me

'You can't help her Clay she needs her family around her'

'I care about her Mason a lot' he explained. 'I need to be here for Hannah'

'Why do you need to be' I shouted. 'Are you one of the reasons she's here in the first place'

'Mason!' Hannah interjected furiously as she threw the sheets off her body

'No Hannah. I need to know why does he care about you so much' I exclaimed. 'I thought and what Jessica told me you two were just friends'

'Because I love her Mason' Clay admitted

I was shocked that Clay had finally admitted his true feelings that everyone kinda knew about him that he held for Hannah, Clay couldn't believe what he had done that not only his caught himself off guard but Hannah also as they were both stunned. She smiled hopefully and sat herself up in the bed

'You love me Helmet' She stated

'I've always loved you Hannah, ever since the first day I met you at the Crestmont'

'Why didn't you say anything before?'

'Because I was scared that I would never be good enough for you Hannah' he admitted

'That's bullshit Clay you always were'

'Guess it was just hard for me to believe it Hannah'

An awkward silence filled the room between the three of us and none of us knew what to say next amongst us, if fate wanted them together then I might as well push them towards that direction as I only wanted to see Hannah be happy, if Clay is meant to be a part of her life then so be it as I couldn't keep them apart no matter what I do

'You've said what you needed to say Clay but like I said before kindly leave' I shouted

I dropped the box of donuts down on the bed and placed my right hand on Clay's shoulder, gently applying enough pressure to get his legs to buckle and move towards the direction of the door. Hannah jumped out of her bed and landed on the floor in a heap, she pushed her palms against the floor and tried to lift herself up to no avail

'Clay' she cried out

He came rushing towards her side and knelt down besides Hannah on the floor, Clay placed his arms underneath Hannah's body and picked her up in a bridal style hold, placing Hannah back down on the bed Clay kept by her side while gently stroking her cheek

'It's ok Hannah I got you' he soothed

'Don't leave me' she pleaded

'I'm not going anywhere Hannah'

I walked around to the side of the bed and placed my hand on Clay's shoulder, he furiously swiped my hand off his body and turned his head around

'I don't give a shit what you think about me Mason' Clay admitted. 'If you think I'm good or not enough for Hannah that's not your decision to make. You won't ever stop me from seeing Hannah whatever threats you make because I love her too much to just let her go now'

'I'll back off Clay that's all I need to hear from you'

'Is that it?' he remarked, raising a brow. 'Was that all I just needed to say to you'

'I want someone who will protect Hannah the way that I do and you're the first person to ever stand to me for wanting to be with Hannah' I proclaimed. 'I don't tell her who she can or can't date, that's her choice to make but I can put the fear into any guy that tries to get with my little sister'

Seeing Hannah blush to an embarrassed shade of red in her cheeks and keeping her gaze dipped to the end of the bed, picking up the box of donuts and cup of hot chocolate again I placed them near Hannah and revealed the delicious baked treats in the box

'I'll leave you guys alone for the night' I exclaimed, picking a donut out of the box. 'I'll come back later Hannah I promise'

'Ok Mason' she replied. 'But where are you gonna go now'

'Around the town I guess, see what else is here to do'

'Take Helmet with you as this may give you boys a chance to bond with each other and you might see why Clay should be around our lives' Hannah suggested. 'I don't want to pick a side if you two boys fall out with each other'

'We won't' Clay smiled cheekily

Clay got up from the bed and picked a donut for himself out of the box also before joining me at the door, we left Hannah's hospital room and awkward silence fell between us again whilst we ate our baked treats. Once Clay and I exited the hospital we ventured into the town as sunset had started and the orange glow was descending from the sky…

During our walk around the town we discovered that both of us were quite keen moviegoers to the cinemas for all kinds of movie genres but favoured the horror genre the most. Whilst coming past the Crestmont movie theatre I saw the poster for IT Chapter One on the side of the building, I suggest to Clay about seeing a movie together to which he agreed

Clay had managed to get free tickets as he worked here which made me like him a little bit more than I had previous before. Being stuck in the long que for the concession stand I spotted a familiar face at the head of the que, she was stood alone and waiting for her order to be made as I leaned over to Clay

'That's Jessica at the top aint it'

'Looks like it'

'Can you see her with anyone here?' I whispered

'Not that I can see' he stated, looking around the que. 'Why'

'Think I might go over and say hey'

Jessica picked up her bucket of popcorn and a box of Mike and Ike in one hand as the other held a cup of soda, moments later a tall teenager with wavy hair appeared out of the little boys' room and came alongside Jessica; draping his arm around her waist as they made their way to their screen room. Ducking my gaze down towards the ground and hoping I wouldn't get noticed by Jessica the inevitable happened as they came past us in the que

'Mason' she called out

Lifting my head up and forcing a fake smile across my face I turned towards Jessica and the boy she was with, Clay and I greeted them both as we exchanged pleasantries with them

'Hey Jess' I greeted

'What are you doing here with Clay? I mean after today I thought you two would be mortal enemies by now'

'Hannah thought it would be good for us to bond' Clay interjected

'Too bond' she proclaimed, raising a brow. 'How's that going'

'Still early days' I replied. 'Anyway what are you here to see?'

'It Chapter One' the boy informed us, kissing Jessica's cheek moments later. 'We didn't watch it properly the first time since we were doing other things in the room'

'What about you guys' Jessica exclaimed

'Same'

'No kidding we'll see you guys in there then' she sighed happily whilst walking away to her cinema screening room with the boy

'Bye' we replied in unison

The moment Jessica and the boy were out of sight and into their screening room I turned back to Clay as we stepped forward a couple of steps in the que

'So who was the boy Clay' I enquired. 'Do you know him?'

'He's Justin Foley I think he's her boyfriend, they got together during summer school' he informed me. 'That's what I heard anyway'

'Oh right' I sighed deeply, drawing a hand back and scratching the back of my head

Standing in the que I felt uneasy about being in the same room as Jessica as she would expect us to sit next to them or near them, I didn't want her boyfriend to think I was making a move on her as she was the first girl I got to know around here. I knew full well about what infidelity and cross lines got you after an incident back home in Nevada. I came here for a fresh start from all the bull crap I suffered back home; gaining Clay's attention again I tapped his shoulder lightly

'Can we go somewhere else?' I asked hopefully

'Why? What's up Mason?'

'I'm not in the mood to see a movie anymore, we'll go another time to see IT I promise Clay'

'Ok Mason'

Leaving our spot in the long que we left the Crestmont foyer quickly before Jessica or her boyfriend Justin came back out of their screening room for whatever reason too and see Clay and I sneak out of the movie theater…..


	5. Chapter 5

Clay and I walked aimlessly around the town trying to find something we could bond over, all the places that were still open at this hour were just eateries and bars; everything was winding down for the night in the town as people were leaving the establishment they had spent the evening in.

After walking around the town centre Clay led us to an arcade centre that would be open for a couple more hours before it shut at midnight. Entering the building the place was buzzing with life inside as loud cheers echoed from the machines and players. Whilst walking around inside the arcade centre I noticed a couple of familiar faces that I had seen at Liberty High, the place seemed to be a hot spot for some of the students here

Trailing behind Clay whilst going around the centre we stopped at a large computer game with a big screen which held two guns in the console unit, stepping up to the game I read the title of what this game is called; Zombie Apocalypse.

'You wanna play this one Mason' Clay asked kindly

'What do you have to do?'

'Survive as long as you can by shooting down all the zombies'

'Sounds easy enough' I exclaimed

'Oh it's not' he replied back. 'Hannah and I struggled to last more than ten minutes when we double up together on the hardest level'

The highest scoreboard screen flashed up on the monitor as I turned my attention to the board to see how difficult this game was, Clay and Hannah held the number one spot in the highest score rankings followed by a few more spots lower down the list in the top ten list

'And I though you hated zombies in general' I stated

'Because they are stupid Mason' Clay shrugged. 'Besides how do….how do you even know that?'

'Hannah told me one time what you said about zombies' I admitted. 'We both love zombie movies to bits'

'Well you two are welcome to them movies' Clay sighed deeply. 'Give me Freddy Krueger any day'

I couldn't help but chuckle a little at his remark at horror movies villains; I guess everyone has their preferences to what they prefer more. Clay stepped up to the arcade game besides me and inserted a couple of dollars into the console; he withdrew his blue gun and held a tight grip on the gun like he was ready to do battle with the zombies.

'Hey Mason, think fast' he exclaimed

Turning towards Clay as he holstered the blue gun in his hands, he playfully pulled the trigger on the gun at me which bullet shell sounds firing out of the machine's speakers erupted. The loud sound disillusioned my concentration around me and everything had shifted before my very eyes, like I was thrown back to a couple of years ago with an encounter with my father and a gun….

_Walking into the house after a quite horrible day at school I found my father drunkenly passed out in his reclining chair, looks like he had skipped another day from work to spend time on the booze; I don't know what's more embarrassing finding him passed out again or having one of his co-workers coming up to me at lunch asking if I knew where he was in front of all my friends _

_Taking quiet steps towards the reclining chair I couldn't tell if he was alive or not from the lack of breath he was taking, bending over I placed my ear near his mouth so I could hear if my father was breathing. Putting my index and middle finger together I reached for my father's neck and checked for a pulse, the slight pressure from my fingers on his neck startled him as he grabbed my wrist and yanked it away from him_

_My father threw me a couple of feet in front of him whilst pulling out his pistol from his jean trousers; he stood over me whilst I was on the floor and lined up his shot _

_'__Mason, think fast' my father shouted angrily, pulling on the trigger of his gun _

_I didn't think anything of his threat since our last running together when I caught him assaulting my mom; we threw a couple of punches at each other then he pulled out his gun and shot a couple of blanks to scare me back into my place of who was the man of the house_

_The few rounds he pulled of his pistols weren't blanks this time like before as live ammunition hit my chest, blood was pouring out of my body at an alarming rate as I struggled to breath and comprehend what had just happen. Looking back up where the live rounds of bullets had come from I saw my father was nowhere to seen as he most likely fled out of the house…._

Reopening my eyes the reality had shifted back to normal and I wasn't back at my old house where unspeakable truths happened inside those four walls that no one ever knows about. Clay dropped his gun back down into the console and stepped a little closer to me, splaying my fingers above my heart I could feel even with the amount of layers on top the everlasting scars at that fruitful day

'You ok Mason' he asked concernedly

'I'm ok Clay'

'I lost you for a couple of minutes there' he stated. 'What happened back there?'

'It's a long story pal I just don't do guns what so ever in any form'

'I have time to hear' he smiled assuringly. 'I'll buy you a slushies and you can tell me all about it'

I nodded my head and Clay lead the way to the small food court they had inside the arcade centre, he brought a slushies each for the both of us and we sat down at an empty bench. I told him everything about my past involving my father first and our clashes together before he was put away for good, my younger brother Teddy and my mom and how I ended up living with my extended family

Clay was shell shocked about each revelation after another that I laid bare about my life; one wouldn't believe that all that much couldn't happen to a person but he believed every word I had said to him.

'You've never told anyone your whole story' he exclaimed. 'Shit'

'You're the first person that knows everything about my past'

'Not even Hannah or Mrs Baker know' he questioned

'They know bits from what they have seen or heard back in Nevada but not everything'

'But why me' he questioned. 'Why do you trust me with all your truths?'

'Hannah told me you would keep any secret if someone had asked you too and I trust you Jensen to follow through with it and keep mine'

'I won't tell anyone not even Hannah'

_'_God it feels so good getting that off my chest you wouldn't even believe'

'Let's do something else I'm bored of talking now and everything serious in the world, I want to have some fun instead' he proclaimed, getting up from the bench. 'Let's go Mason'

I chuckled lightly at the sudden change in subject and energy from Clay Jensen, I told him my darkest secrets and he just accept everything I had done in within reason and still wanted to hang out with me; I guess I can see why now Hannah likes having him around. We looked for another game to play in the arcade centre when I stopped Clay suddenly, dragging him over to machine were I placed a dollar bill into the console and hit the big button that was located overhead, a punch bag fell down from the machine's arm and was ready to use

'Come on Clay, give it your best shot' I encouraged

'I'm not very good at boxing'

'It's just a game buddy. Some harmless fun' I exclaimed. 'I can go first if you like'

Clay nodded his head as I stepped up to the plate of the machine, lifting both of my fists up I struck the punch bag furiously as it when back up into the machine. The digital number swirled whilst calculating my score of the punch on the bag, the number finally stopped at 999 as it couldn't go any further than that on the game, resetting the game for Clay I pressed the button and the bag fell again in front of me as I stepped away from the machine

'Your turn Clay'

A couple of laughter could be heard in the distance but I couldn't see where they were coming from, Clay froze in fear at the chuckling because he mostly likely knew who voice's they belong too. Moments later a couple of boys appeared out of the shadows and all sported Liberty High letterman jackets, they teenagers surrounded us both so we couldn't escape them without passing them first

'Do you know these boys Clay?'

'Unfortunately Mason I do' he gulped. 'It's Monty and the rest of his asshole jocks friends'

Clay quickly pointed out who was who amongst the boys as they closed us in into a circle, their leader Bryce Walker was nowhere to be seen at all in the arcade centre. Monty stepped forward out of the circle and came up to us

'Well what do we have here' Monty exclaimed. 'Hey pussy'

'Just leave him alone' I stated

'Who's this pussy? Your boyfriend' he laughed. 'You finally ready to come out now Cory'

The group round us burst into hysteric laughter and Clay just hung his head in shame that he would let himself get bullied to this level. I'd seen this feeling before back home in Nevada at my old school about someone I cared most about, I won't let Clay getting bullied like this ever again not while I'm around now in Crestmont

'You say another derogative word to him again Monty and we're gonna have a problem'

'I don't even know you and I don't care a single bit'

'You will Montgomery and I'll make your life a living hell'

'My life is already shit dude it can't get any worse than it already has'

'I can make it so and I can promise you that' I proclaimed, squaring up to him. 'You see Clay anywhere you turn the other way and leave, you don't look at him speak to him and if I find out that you have I promise to put you six feet under. Do I make myself clear?'

'Whatever'

Monty just hissed like he didn't believe my threat at all and ushered for the rest of the other jocks to leave, he purposely brushed past Clay's shoulder as he left the arcade to indicate he wouldn't listen to a word I said and continue on to bully him

'Thanks Mason'

'I got your back Clay' I assured him, placing my hand on his shoulder

Clay clenched his fist into a silent rage that splashed across his face how he was feeling, coming up to the machine Clay threw a venomous swing at the leather bag which rocketed back up the machine's arm, the digital number just kept on swirling and past nine hundred with ease before coming to a stop at nine hundred and fifty four, for someone quite small he packed a huge punch if needed…..

After staying at the arcade centre for another half I walked Clay home just to be sure he got home safely, last thing I wanted was for him to get jumped on by Monty and his goons who might have waited for him to show up alone outside and end up in his hospital with Hannah with god know what kind of injuries.

Walking back to the hospital to spend the rest of my evening with Hannah, I felt twisted inside that I told Clay everything about what happened in Nevada and I hadn't told my little sister the real truth what went down; one day I need to come clean to not just her but my aunt and uncle as well because they deserve to know even if they didn't want.

Knocking on the door of Hannah's room I entered the small cubicle space of the room before sitting down in the chair next to the bed, Hannah slid me the box of donuts that I brought earlier from Monet's. Lifting up the lid we took a donut each and ate in comfortable silence, whilst chewing down on the sugary goodness I saw Hannah was lost in her own thoughts and something was on her mind

'You alright Hannah' I asked kindly

'Hum… yeah I'm fine'

'You're such a bad lair' I teased. 'Come and tell your big brother what's wrong'

'I've done something really stupid Mason and I need your help to fix it'

'What is it?'

'I've sent Justin Foley something and I need it back before he gets it and passes it along to the next person'

'Give me his address and I'll sort it Hannah'

Hannah typed his address into google maps on my phone and I looked where his place was and studied the surrounding areas when I would make my visit tomorrow morning, placing my phone back into my pocket of jeans I leaned back into my chair and saw the slight smirk across Hannah's face

'What' I questioned, raising a brow

'Did you and Helmet finally bond then? Or were you at each other's throats'

'I guess we did at the arcade, he doesn't seem that bad now once I got to know him'

'I knew you would like him eventually Mason' she smiled happily. 'Did you guys play my favourite game at the arcade? Zombie Apocalypse'

'We didn't Hannah but I did see your high score with Clay. Me and Clay would have smashed it with ease' I informed her. 'We did play some other games instead and I'll tell you, Clay has a good punch on him'

'Clay? Punching? I've never seen him fight anyone'

'He'll surprise you that kid'

Hannah and I continued talking about what I'd done tonight at the arcade with Clay and the games she was gonna play next and the scores to beat once she was allowed out of here, I stayed with Hannah long into the night teasing her that she wouldn't beat the scores Clay and I set anytime soon; truth be told Hannah did have a strong competitive side in her and those records set tonight wouldn't last for long….

Early the next morning I had set out for the day to Justin's apartment complex figuring I would catch him before Justin woke up and set off for school, walking around the area where the apartment was located I had a bad vibe just being here alone. Cars were placed on bricks and theirs wheels stolen and for some unfortunate people their cars had been burnt out, walking down the street I saw what looked like needles on the floor near some small children that I passed by; god knows what else I would find here if I looked around more carefully

Arriving at the apartment block I needed a key to get through the doors as it was an intercom system door; I hesitated to ring the bell to Justin's apartment as I didn't know him that well enough to make a flying visit to get through the door. A mother and her child came through said door moments later and I sneak in quickly before the door locked closed, heading up the staircase I could hear quite the commotion going on inside Justin's apartment when I reached the door, waiting for a quiet moment to knock on the door as it flew wide open after I knocked softly

'Can I help you kid' a man with long slick shoulder length hair asked

'I'm looking for Justin, is he in?'

'Yeah he's in' the guy stated. 'What do you want with that dipshit?'

'I need to speak to him it'll only take a minute'

The guy with tattoos all over his neck and arms moved out of the door frame to let me into the apartment, the place was in a right state wit furniture thrown over on the floor and smashed glass everywhere as I stood in the living room

'Hey dipshit you have a friend here that wants to see you' he called out

I looked over at the man again and just huffed silently and nodded as returned the gesture whilst we both waited for Justin to appear out of his room; Justin came out moments later in a slumber as he was still adjusting to the day.

'Hey Justin' I greeted

'Um hey'

'You mind if I talk to you in private'

'Sure'

I followed Justin into his bedroom as he closed the door behind me and sat down on his unmade bed, nothing seemed unordinary or out of place what a typical teenager boy bedroom looked like, clothes shattered in every directions and water bottles everywhere. I cast my eyes around his whole room to see if I could find the package myself before I would ask him if he's still got it.

'Your dad seems like a….' I proclaimed. Trying to find any little positive thing to say about him

'He's not my dad, Seth dating my mom' he informed me. 'Anyway what do you want Mason?'

'Did you get a package in the mail recently; it's a small shoebox by any chance'

'Yeah I did Mason' Justin nodded. 'How would you know that I did?'

'Hannah sent you something by mistake and she wants it back so can I have it'

'Sure no problem' he replied

Justin got up from his bed and walked over to dresser on the other side of the room; he opened the door and pulled a small shoebox from the back that was hidden from view of his shirts in the way. I opened up my backpack and placed the small shoebox inside and then zipped it closed

'Thanks' I relied gratefully. 'Do you know what's in the box because I'm guessing it's not a pair of shoes?'

'I haven't looked inside the box I just saw it was for me and I threw it in the back of my wardrobe thinking nothing of it'

I nodded my head and understood why he hasn't checked what's inside if he just saw that it was a girl's shoebox and nothing more I would have probably done the same, I opened the bedroom door to leave and saw Seth and his mom in the kitchen, I couldn't keep my gaze away from them after hearing their loud screams echoing out

'You really are something else Amber I can't believe you throw my bag away' Seth yelled. 'Like mother like son you both are really dumb pieces of shit'

'I'm sorry baby' she pleaded whilst placing her hands on his arm

'Sorry aint going to fix this'

Seth dropped his arm suddenly so the woman stumbled forward to him and then his backhanded her face with a thunderous clap, Justin's mom fell to the floor and he stood over her body. When I looked more closely to what I had just witness I didn't see Seth or Justin's mom anymore but my own parents when I caught my father beating my mother for the very first time, I stood in utter shock and anger that a man would do that to a woman; I was taught to be delicate and gentle with girls and promised my mom to never lay a hand on a woman.

The sounds of Seth punching Justin's mom snapped me back to the reality and where I was still, Amber was brought up to her feet by Seth as he moved some of her long black hair behind her ears so she could see into his raging eyes

'We've talked about this Amber don't ever piss me off again or I'll kill you and your dipshit son'

Seth let go of Amber's body and she rushed off into her bedroom passing both Justin and I in the way, she locked her bedroom door and Justin tried to usher me out the door before Seth noticed we saw it all unfold. I brushed off Justin's flaying arms and saw burn marks on his forearm; he didn't say a word and kept his head down whilst trying to show me out.

I waited for Seth remerge from the kitchen which he did with a bottle of beer in hand, he took a deep swig before stepping up close to me as I dropped my backpack off my shoulder

'Can I help you kid or are you just gonna stand there all day' Seth questioned

'Do you know what pisses me off more than anything in the world? Men like you, woman beaters'

'You don't even know me kid so kindly fuck off now'

'Not until you promise to leave for good and never come back here again'

'Justin show him what happens when you don't listen'

Justin hesitated and shock his head no before Seth surged on him and gripped his neck tightly, trying to chock him out and lifted up his t-shirt to reveal several deep bruises all over his chest that he inflicted. Seth finally let go of Justin as he grasped for air and clawed back to his room

'Don't try and be a hero kid or you'll get the same as him I don't care'

'Let's go then woman beater' I exclaimed, rolling up the sleeves of my long t-shirt

Seth charged at me suddenly and wrapped his arms around my waist before backing me up into the wall; putting my hands together I slammed them down into his back to loosen his fold of me and pushed Seth away. Raising my right fist I swung powerfully that connect with his jaw that sent Seth stumbling back

'I hope you take notes from this lesson' I sighed deeply

I then charged at Seth and made sure I had him up against the wall, I punched his face with both of my arms; taking them in turn after each successful punch. Seth kneed me in the groin which threw me off my rhythm from the pain to the nether reign and connected a fist against the left side of my face, he kicked me in the chest which I stumbled back a foot and lifted up a chair, swinging the chair into my back which broke to pieces

'Still want more kid or have you had enough'

I groaned in pain from the slam of the wooden chair and its impact into my back, pushing myself up off from the floor pieces of the chair fell off my body. I dusted myself down and raised my arms up in front of me to defend myself again from him

'I can do this all day' I muttered

Seth ran forward to throw a punch but I dodge his advances by side stepping him and hit him in the back, I threw Seth to the ground and straddled my legs over his stomach so he couldn't get back up and fight. I delivered some killer punch to his faces as his blood had sprayed the carpet, picking up his beer bottle I cradled the neck of the glass and smashed it across his face; a few fragments pierced his cheek as I held the broken glass near his jugular vein

'Do it kid' he egged on. 'You don't have it in you to kill me'

'Oh but I do Seth'

'Then finish me what you are waiting for' he gasped

'You're not worth it, death is too easy for you'

I threw the remain piece of glass bottle behind me shoulder and threw more punches to his face, making Seth bleed more as his blood had started to strain my closed fists.

'Promise you'll never come here again'

'I promise'

'If I ever see you here again or speak to Amber or Justin I'll kill you for real next time'

'You have my word'

'I know you won't keep it for a god damn minute because you're full of shit'

I landed one final knockout blow to Seth which he spat out a mouthful of blood, he lay on the floor unconscious from my killer blow as I got up from him and slung my backpack over my shoulder. Justin peered out of his bedroom and saw Seth lying on the floor; he nodded gratefully as I saw myself out of the apartment complex.

I pulled up my hoodie so no one from the building complex saw my face as I knew the police would be showing up here soon after the commotion we had made up there. Once I was a couple of blocks away from the building I removed my hoodie and shoved it into my bag, pulling out a water bottle from a side pocket I washed my hands of Seth's blood that covered them, the sound of the water dripping off my hand reminded me of a time where I made a promise to my mother a couple of years ago

_'__Promise me baby you'll never fight again'_

_'__Mom' I groaned _

_'__I mean it babe. I know you were defending Teddy and our family but only fight if someone provokes you not the other way around' she proclaimed. 'Your dad is happy that you stood up for yourself and beaten up that poor kid but I'm not babe, I don't want you to be anything like your dad. Prove to me you won't be like him' _

_'__Ok mom I promise to never fight again unless I've been provoked' _

_'__Thank you Mason' _

_My mom got up from the worktop and walked around the small kitchen island to the side of me, she cupped my cheek softly and stroked her thumb against it, bending down and placed a loving kiss to my cheek; nothing ever compares to mommy kisses. I got up from the bar stool and wrapped my arms around my mom_

_'__I'll keep my promise mom'_

_'__I know you will babe'_

Looking down at the water bottle I saw I had drained all the water out of it and my hands were now clean from the blood that stain them, placing the bottle back into the bag I hear a couple of footstep approach closer to me from behind

'Mason' a familiar voice called out behind me


	6. Chapter 6

The feminine voice that called out behind me I knew it in a heartbeat who that voice belongs too, turning around from the bench I had stopped at I saw Jessica Davis was stood behind me. She was confused what I was doing here but her expression changed when she saw the marks and cuts on my face

'What happened to you?' she asked sincerely

'I was teaching someone a very important lesson; I hope he's learned never to do it again after what he's promised me'

'Enough of the jokes Mason I'm serious' she sighed deeply. 'Who's done that to you?'

'Seth'

'As in the guy Justin's mom is dating, Meth Seth' she stated

'Yeah that asshole' I nodded my head. 'I gotta go now'

'What's the sudden rush' Jessica questioned, raising a brow

Two police patrol cars and an ambulance sped past us with great urgency and stopped outside the apartment building complex, the paramedics and two police officers went up the staircase to see what the commotions was and to treat Seth to his injuries. Two police officers stayed outside the complex and ushered people along that lingered because of their presence in the area, I threw back on my hoodie whilst lifting up the hood and chucked on my backpack

'What have you done Slick?'

'Nothing Jess' I pleaded innocently. 'Can we please just go now?'

'Not until you tell me what's happened'

'Not here Jess'

Jessica looked over my shoulder at the police officers in the distance and then brought her gaze back to me and nodded, we quickly left the area before we could be stopped and asked why we were here in the first place. Jessica led me away from the apartment complex through the back streets of the town so we could blend into the background from any passing patrol cars….

We stopped outside a convenience store and Jessica headed inside to get some water bottles, I stood outside the glass window and saw a past reflection of myself from a few years ago. Blood covered my fists and it dripped onto the wooden floor as I stood over a lifeless body on the ground, a hand landed on my right shoulder startling me as I looked who was standing behind me through the mirror, a vengeful smile plastered across my lips whilst I began shaking my head. Wondering if what my father had predicted about my future had finally come true, my destiny fulfilled in becoming a monster he knew I would soon be….

The door to the convenience store swung open and Jessica threw me a water bottle instantly once she stepped out, the door closed quickly and I was staring at my own reflection again with my running in with Meth Seth. I unscrewed the cap off my bottle and walked along the sidewalk with Jessica

'I know what you're thinking about me Jess and I'm definitely not that' I exclaimed, sighing a deep breath

'What am I thinking then?'

'I'm a monster, a thug, a violent cunt' I retorted. 'The list could go on and on with me'

'I wasn't thinking any of that about you Slick' she sighed. 'I just want to know what happened to you and why you were at my boyfriend's place anyway'

'Just so we're clear I didn't do anything to Justin and he's fine. I went to get something that was accidently sent to him'

'How did you end up in a fight with Meth Seth if you went to get something from Justin Then?'

'Seth and Amber were arguing in the kitchen and then he assaulted her, Justin warned me not to get involved but I couldn't help it Jess' I explained to her. 'I was raised to never raise a hand to a girl and I had to teach Seth a lesson to never do it again'

'And that's how you both ended up in a fight and how you got a slight cut to your face' Jessica proclaimed, reaching out to cup my cheek and inspect the damage. 'Does it hurt?'

'Not really' I replied, pulling her hand away from my open cut wound. 'Probably all that adrenaline rushing around inside my body'

'You should get it check out Slick just to be on the safe side'

'I'll live Jess' I assured her

Jessica nodded her head as we continued on with our walk around the town, aimlessly walking anywhere to past the time before school would start for the day. Looking down at my knuckles I saw the skin had been cut in places and bruising had begun in same areas

'Are your hands ok Slick, we can go back to mine and I could patch them up for you'

'I'll be ok Jess I've done worse to my hands before' I informed her. 'Besides I wouldn't want to get you late for school'

'You're still coming to school right for the day. I'm pretty sure the cops didn't you see at the apartment'

'Of course I am but I'll be coming in late, I'll wait for my aunt and uncle to leave for the store and then I'll patch myself up and then come in' I admitted. 'Can I ask you something Jess?'

'Yeah anything' Jessica nodded

'Do you think I'm a monster?'

'No, why would you even think that about yourself' she snorted, confused why I would even ask that

'From what I have just told you that had happened and the injuries to my face and hands, I feel like I can't control myself sometimes when I've just lost it in the moment'

'But you have controlled yourself Mason I've seen you do it with my own eyes'

'When' I questioned, raising a brow

'Last night at the arcade, you were there with Clay. Monty and his jock buddies were there also and they surrounded you guys and I saw it on your face that you wanted to punch him in the face for what he said but you didn't, you controlled yourself'

'I didn't want to make things worse for Clay then it already might be Jess' I exclaimed. 'It's not my place to get involved'

'But you're more than happy to get involved in the mess with Meth Seth than our precious delicate Clay Jensen'

'He can handle himself Jessica he doesn't need me to defend him, all of you are blind to his true capability'

'But in both separate differences you stood up for what you believed in and how other should be treated instead of the ways likes Seth, Monty and any other asshole have treated then before' she admitted as I dropped my gaze. 'Look at me Mason Baker'

'I am Jess' I replied as Jessica cupped my face with both of her hands and drew it up

'You're a good man Slick and we both know that' she exclaimed. 'I can see it in your eyes that you're conflicted, you want to believe you're a good man but something from your past is not allowing you to accept who you are right now Slick. But I do still believe you're a good person deep down'

Sighing deeply I knew she was right but it would be unfair to upload it all on her right now. 'Thanks Jess'

'Anytime, you know where I am if you want to talk' Jessica stated, dropping her hands away from my face

'I'll keep that in mind next time'

Jessica nodded her head and I waved her off so she wouldn't be late for homeroom when school started for the day. I took the long way home and kept my head down on the journey back, hoping to patch myself up quickly and pass off my late absence as just waking up late for the day…..

After missing the first class of the day and signing the late form at the reception desk I made it to Liberty High just in time for the start of second period, navigating my way down the hall I entered the boy's locker room and spotted Clay close by, walking over to him I got changed into my spare set of clothes for the class.

'Where have you been Mason?' he asked

'It's a long story Clay'

'How did you get that mark on your face?' Clay questioned, moving the side of my face over to have a better look

'I'll tell you later' I murmured

Clay just nodded his head as the whole locker room fell silent when Coach Patrick and his junior Coach Rick entered the room, student quickly finished getting changed and sat down on the bench as the two teachers stood in the centre of the room. Coach Patrick cleared his throat and looked down at his clipboard in his hand

'Everyone that's not the baseball team head to the gymnasium with Coach Rick for volleyball'

Students rose up from their seats and followed the coach out of the locker room; the only students left in here were the physically strong athletes with their letterman jackets that hung behind them showing their status. I got up with Clay and was about to leave when Coach Patrick called out behind me

'Seat down Baker' he ordered

I returned back to my seat and looked around at the fellow boys that were on the baseball team, a few noticeable faces stood out amongst the small crowd in here.

'Right everyone' Coach Patrick declared. 'Meet your new team member Mason Baker'

'Wait I didn't sign up for this Coach' I interjected

'Are you any good at baseball son?' he asked

'I don't like to blow my own trumpet but I'd say I'm good at the sport'

'Well that's good enough for me you're on the team Mason'

Bryce Walker opened up a locker door and handed Coach Patrick a freshly sealed letterman jacket, he tore open the plastic bag and presented me with the jacket as I quickly placed it inside my locker. All of my new team mates got up from their seats and greeted me warmly with a firm hand shake each starting with the captain of the baseball team Bryce Walker, then Monty, Zack, Justin, Scott, Oscar, Pablo, Vincent, Liam and then lastly Aaron

'So what are we doing for the rest of the lesson?' I asked

'Jack shit' Bryce informed me

'That's how the baseball team rolls Mason' Scott informed me. 'We send the geeks and losers away to sweat their fat asses off and we just chill for the hour'

'What in here' I replied sarcastically

'We've got another place but you need to be initiated first brother' Justin stated, taking a hit of a vape pen he took from Oscar

'Let's get you initiated then Brother Mason' Bryce declared

The rest of the baseball team got up from their seats on the bench and hurdled around me in a circle, Monty kicked me hard in the back of my calf which made me kneel down in front of the team as I went down in a heap. Scott gaged my mouth with some cloth to keep me quiet and then Oscar placed a blindfold over my eyes so I couldn't see anymore

I felt two separate arms curled around my own tightly as I was helped up onto my own feet, being dragged away from the boy's locker room with the baseball team in tow. After being taken god knows where for what felt like a good ten minutes I knew we were outside of the school building, the distinct sound of locks being open I recognised in an instant as I was pushed through a doorway, the place smelt of damp, alcohol and sex that smacked me right in the face after breathing in the air.

The gag was removed first from my mouth then the blindfold was taken off from my face, looking around my new surroundings I was taken to some large wooden shed with loads of side rooms that had been built in. The main hang out area was covered with old recliners and chairs with a small bar at the back of the room.

'Where are we?' I questioned

'That's a need to know basis right now Mason' Bryce proclaimed. 'First let's begin with the initiation'

Bryce snapped his fingers in the air importantly and Justin quickly went behind the bar and pulled out a cap and gown, Bryce slipped on the smart attire and straightened up his cap before standing in front of me

'Raise your right hand'

Doing what I was told I raised my right hand up in front of me because I knew if things turned sour instantly I couldn't take them all on at once

'We the baseball team of Liberty High take you Mason Baker to be our new brother, we don't ask for much other than you have our back if we need you too and too keep this place a secret from everyone you know'

'Even that faggot Cory Jensen' Monty interjected

'It's Clay Jensen actually' I corrected

'Whatever' he snorted

'Thanks for interrupting Brother Monty and let's get back to what I was saying' Bryce exclaimed. 'We'll call you brother and treat you like one Mason but we need to know you'll be willing to do the same in return. Do you agree?'

Hesitating on my answer I knew I wouldn't be able to talk my way out of joining them because Coach Patrick would make sure I stuck by my new teammate's side if I wanted go further with what he had promised. 'I agree'

'Then it's settled then as you've given your declaration in being our newest brother, we would welcome you to our team Brother Mason' Bryce stated. 'There's only one thing left to do'

'What's that?'

'The real initiation this is one big joke that we do to every new recruit Coach Patrick puts forward to us' he admitted, throwing off his cap and gown. 'The real test is the drink initiation'

Zack and Justin brought forward a cooler and flipped open the lid of the iced drink container, Zack throw me a six pack of Budweiser which I caught single handily. Justin gave Bryce a large bottle of El Destilador Tequila which he set down on a table

'Here's your challenge Brother Mason you have to down all six cans of bud then down completely the tequila'

'Sounds easy enough' I exclaimed

'In under two minutes' he informed me

'And if I don't'

'Then there is a forfeit Brother Mason' Oscar stated. 'You'll have to streak naked all across the school campus twice'

'Do you still accept the challenger Mason' Justin asked, raising a brow

I nodded my head whilst pulled out all of the cans from the plastic ring holder and setting them down on the table, picking up a can I held my fingers over the metal clip and waited for my order to start the challenge. The whole team gathered around me and gave their full support when Bryce shouted go, necking the first few cans as they scorched down my throat at a rapid pace in less than thirty seconds. The last two cans I struggled to swallow down at the amount I had consumed which I could feel rising back up my throat, unscrewing the cap on the tequila bottle I slowly chugged down on the vile drink that upset my stomach much more.

'Your nearly there Brother Mason' Vincent cheered

Bryce started the count down on the last thirty seconds left of the challenge which everyone joined in, I had more than half the bottle left to finish as they continued cheering on to finish it off. Taking a deep breath I necked what was left in the bottle and finished just on the dot with the challenge

'You're officially our brother now' Bryce stated happily

All I knew I was going to throw up the lot I had drank down in two minute frenzy, I didn't care where I puked so long I could have that sweet release. Hobbling back I sat down in a spare couch space and held my stomach, most of the guys went back to whatever they were doing before the drinks had come out. Liam and Aaron sat down on the couch also and watched the tv as Vincent and Bryce started a game on the PS4 console

'What is this place?' I asked again

'It's the clubhouse' Liam informed me

'Where is this place even located?'

'You'll soon see once you head outside'

'You have to keep quiet since only the baseball team knows about this place and no other team does' Bryce interjected

'How did this place even get here?'

'God you ask a lot of question Brother Mason' Aaron replied

'Nobody really knows how it got here but Coach Patrick was the one how gave us the keys to this place' Bryce proclaimed. 'Get used to this place because we'll be back here tonight for your party'

I nodded my head still trying to understand what this place was and what the baseball team got up to in here that no one even knew that it even existed. To full to even ask more questions about this place and the party I closed my eyes to sleep off what I had drunk before my next class started in half an hour…

The first half of the day had flashed by in an instant and after puking up most of what I had drunk in the clubhouse I sat opposite Clay at his table in the cafeteria, not feeling in the mood to eat anything I just drank from my water bottle and scanned my surroundings

'You not eating anything for lunch Mason' Clay asked

'Nah I'm good'

'If you don't mind me saying but you look knackered' he exclaimed. 'What did you guys do at gym class because I didn't see you until after it finished?'

'A lot buddy and I just lost my appetite over it. I don't think I'll be eating for the rest of the day now'

Looking over Clay's shoulder at the jock table behind him I noticed Monty having a quiet word in Bryce's ear, a few of the baseball team where looking over at our table and had expected me to sit with them after the initiation this morning. Sitting on the side of Justin, Jessica smiled warmly and waved her hand after our little talk in the morning, lifting up my hand I waved back at her as Clay turning around in his seat to see who I was waving at, pivoting back around quickly I noticed the smirk play across his lips

'What' I asked playfully

'I saw Mason' he teased

'Saw what Clay?'

'The small smiles across both of your faces, you like her don't you Mason'

'Oh shut up Clay' I stated

'Well you're not denying it are you'

'We're friends and I like her as only my friend just you like and Hannah, you both are friends right'

'Difference is I confessed how I felt about Hannah to her' he admitted. 'Do you really like Jessica as in like like her'

'Oh I'm not going into this who I like and don't like Clay, I'm no way ready for a relationship again'

'Why so defensive all of a sudden Mason'

'Because I won't be the guy who breaks up a relationship. Like you told me before Clay she has a boyfriend' I shouted, my mind racing back to a painful memory from my past

_After falling out with my best friend Jacob Johnstone over being the new captain of the school's baseball team over him I went over to his house to make amends with him and offer my best friend vice captaincy role. Seeing his car parked out front of his home I knew he would leave his house unlocked so I entered through the front door, hearing a squeak of the bed springs I climbed up on the staircase and stopped outside Jacob's bedroom door, hearing the bed squeak more and soft moans escaping from the room I didn't suspect anything from him as he was probably watching a porno on his Playstation again. _

_Opening his bedroom door wide open I never expect to find what I did in the room, my best friend stopped what he was doing and moved off the person he was on top off. Seeing my best friend Jacob and my girlfriend Monica crawling under the covers, they looked at each other sheepishly before turning back to me again _

_'__What the fuck' I screamed _

Coming back out of that painful memory that forever is sketched into my head I raised my gaze up from the table. 'Have you ever had your heart broken Clay'

'No'

'Because it hurts like hell when it does, I just hope you never have to go through one to know the exact pain'

'Hopefully not' Clay replied. 'Have you heard the good news Mason?'

'No'

'Hannah is coming home today from the hospital'

'That's great news' I sighed deeply

My phone buzzed in my jean pocket as I fished out the handhold device to see what notification I had received, a text from Hannah about being released and if I could come by tonight with Clay. I replied back to the text saying that I would, I picked up a handful of fries from Clay's plate and ate the delicious fried food…

After school had finished for the day Clay and I went straight to the hospital to meet my Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy, they were both dealing with the discharge papers so Hannah can finally leave this place after being copped up in her room for two weeks. Hannah was sat in her wheelchair ready to be escorted out as Clay stood behind the wheeled chair

'Helmet can we go to Monet's tomorrow for a hot chocolate'

'Course we can Hannah, anytime you want to go we'll go' he stated happily. 'Care to join us Mason'

'I'll leave you guys to it I've got somewhere I need to be' I replied, not wanting to third wheel on their date

Hannah eyed up my new clothing that I wore over my body instead of my usual black leather jacket that I wore everywhere before being given this new letterman jacket

'So when did my big brother become a jock' she inquired

'Today during gym class' I informed them. 'Not by choice'

'I though you hated the idea of ever becoming a jock'

'I do Hannah but now that I am one, I can only hope I can change the rest of them in doing better becoming better people around the whole school to everyone'

Hannah smiled supportively at my last statement but that was easier said than ever done in the entirety of mankind history. Clay nodded his head and knew what I meant about changing since I've told him my whole past; the troubles I faced with jocks back home in Nevada. The door suddenly opened and Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy stepped into the room, going to Hannah's side and picked up a small bag from the bed

'You can finally come home now Hannah' Aunt Liv stated happily

'Finally' Hannah sighed glad fully

Clay pushed the wheelchair slowly out of the room and down the corridor as we past doctors and nurses on the ward that we got to know during our time here and waved goodbye to them, the car was parked out front of the hospital for east access for Hannah as Clay and I helped her into the back of the vehicle, my aunt and uncle returned moments later to the car after putting back the wheelchair inside of the hospital

During the ride back home Hannah closed her eyes and rested her head against Clay's shoulder whilst he wrapped an arm around her protectively. Once we parked outside of the house I opened the door for Clay and he picked her up out of the back seat, carrying her bridal style as he entered the house and went straight to Hannah's bedroom. Laying her down gently on the bed Hannah woke up from her small nap and smiled peacefully at him as Aunt Liv and I stood by the door

'Will you stay with me for a little bit longer Clay?'

'Course I will Hannah' he nodded

Walking away from the doorway I entered my bedroom to get ready for my party later at the clubhouse, taking off my new jacket and peeling off my t-shirt from my body I grabbed the things I needed for a quick bath…

Returning to my bedroom from the fifteen minute soak in the tub I changed into my boxer briefs and laid on the bed, reaching for my phone off the nightstand and seeing the flashing lights at the top that I had received some new notifications. The new group that I had been added too on WhatsApp's was filled with new messages from everyone on the team; they were mostly picture based messages about what we would be drinking tonight and who will be coming to the party. A new text message buzzed through my phone and the drop down notification showed it was from Jessica

'You ready for your party tonight'

'Yeah' I replied back, thinking how would she know about that since its location was private information. 'Wait how do you know about that?'

'Justin told me about the party tonight, it should be fun right'

'Yeah it should be but I aint holding my breath' I texted quickly. 'Guess I'll see you tonight Jess maybe'

'You will Slick, save me a drink' she replied. 'If not maybe a dance then'

'I don't do dancing'

'God you sound just like Clay'

I huffed loudly before going into my emoji keyboard and sending Jessica an unamused and pensive face emoji's to her, she replied back with a tears of joy face and clock emoji as I looked at the corner of my phone and saw the time. Getting changed into some dark navy blue jeans and a causal white shirt, rolling up the sleeves on the shirt I checked my appearance in the mirror before adding some gel into my hair and swam my fingers through my hair; styling it in a certain way.

I grabbed my essentials and placed them into my jeans pockets as I left my bedroom, my aunt and uncle didn't appear to be in the house whilst I looked around for them and saw the car was gone from outside the house. Walking to Hannah's bedroom I gently knocked on the door, no answer was given after a few seconds so I peeked my head through the door to see they were both fast asleep in each other's arm, pulling the door closed I heard a soft murmur from the other side of the room

'Mason' Hannah called out as I re-entered the bedroom and stood by the doorway. 'What are you doing?'

'More like what are you doing' I questioned, raising a brow suggestively

Hannah burrowed her brows confusedly and wondered what I was getting on about; Hannah looked down what she was laying on and moved away quickly from Clay's chest as he was still fast asleep

'Nothing'

'Anyway I was gonna tell your parents that I was going out for the night but they aint here, can you tell them I'll be back late into the night'

'Sure' she nodded

Looking over to the small lounger across from the bed I walked over to the furniture and picked up a blanket that rested there, opening out the large material I placed the blanket over Clay and Hannah so they could keep warm as she got comfortable in the bed

'Bye Hannah'

Hannah nodded her head and saw the tiredness cloud her eyes as I left her bedroom, pulling the door slowly closed I looked over my shoulder and noticed Hannah raise herself up and get comfortable again back in Clay's embrace; at least someone would be having a good night after all being by someone they loved….


	7. Chapter 7

Walking around Liberty High school campus the place was pitch black in darkness as I wondered around, following the path I was lead onto earlier in the day I could see the clubhouse in the distance in the small woodland behind the school. Pushing away the large metal hence that was covered in tarpaulin I passed through the small gap and stopped outside the clubhouse

The beats of an R&B song was thumping outside the walls of the small wooden shack as I pushed down on the handle of the door, the door was locked which I found quite strange considering I was told there would be my welcome party here tonight. Banging on the door a small cover slid across and I was met with a pair of eyes, the small cover swished back and the locks on the door became undone

I pushed on the now unlocked door and stepped inside the bustling clubhouse, noticing all of my new teammates were already here with a few girls from the cheerleading squad. Walking around aimlessly I stopped at the keg and poured myself a drink into a red plastic cup, seeing a friendly face in the tight crowd I went over to the person

'Hey Jess' I greeted warmly

'You finally made it then' she greeted

'I didn't realise I was late for this' I shrugged, checking the time on my wrist watch. 'Why what have I missed so far'

'My boyfriend passing out drunk for the night, he's such a light weight' she informed me. 'Not much really other than that and the whole baseball team drinking themselves under waiting for you to show up'

'Fuck um more for them, I only plan on having two beers tonight'

'Why aint you in the party spirit it's supposed to be your night'

'Because my little sister has just got out of the hospital and I'm wasting my time here with these drunken assholes that I've only known for like nine hours'

'So you haven't come to see me tonight then after all' she teased playfully

'Has someone told you something' I questioned, raising a brow. 'Is it Clay?'

'Maybe he has maybe he hasn't' Jessica toyed

'Oh I'm so gonna kill him later' Muttering under by breath

'You lay a finger on him Slick and Hannah will cause you some grievous bodily harm that's for sure'

'No she won't'

'You want to bet any money on that'

I shrugged my shoulders playfully before we broke off into a fit of giggles but truth be told I knew Hannah wouldn't hesitate to throw some punches on me if I laid a finger of Clay. Bryce slipped out from one of the side rooms and poured himself a beer, turning from the table and scanned before a smile appeared on his face as he walked over

'He's finally came then' he greeted

'Hey Bryce'

'You don't mind if I borrow him for a minute do you Jess' he proclaimed, swinging his arm around my shoulder to lead me away. 'Thank you sweetheart'

Brushing past members of the baseball team Bryce pulled me to one side so he could have that private chat, he poured us both another beer each into our empty cups

'Don't get too close to Jessica, that's my brother's girlfriend Mason'

'We were just talking. Chill out Bryce'

'Whatever man just watch your back that's all I'm saying' he sighed deeply. 'There are plenty of girls here tonight if you want to hook up, and that reminds me I have a special surprise for you later'

'I don't do surprise Bryce'

'Oh you will for this one buddy' he exclaimed, taking a sip from his plastic cup. 'Not after all the trouble I went through for you and Marcus'

'Who' I questioned, raising a brow as I looked around the clubhouse for someone who I didn't know

'He's not on the team Mason but he's a cool guy and we've allowed him entry to the clubhouse' Bryce explained. 'Helps that he's on the student body honour body and can pay us a favour if we need it'

I nodded my head as Bryce pointed out Marcus in the small crowd while the guy was talking to Vincent and Pablo, hearing the door to one of the side room open I turned at the noise and saw a blonde woman come over to us

'Hey babe' she greeted, kissing his cheek

'Hey'

'Well aren't you gonna introduce me to your new teammate'

'Right Mason this is my girl…' Bryce concluded

'Friend, just friend' the blonde woman interjected

'Right... friend, Chloe' he stuttered

'Nice to meet you Chloe' I greeted

'Same here I've heard a lot about you from Bryce and Justin'

'Well I hope they are mostly positive about me' I smiled gently

'Oh they sure are Mason, only told me good things about you'

I nodded my head and wondered what kind of lies they could have feed to Chloe since they had only known me for a day, then again Justin might have said something nice about me after a run in with his mom's boyfriend who was no longer in the picture. Chloe left Bryce's side and went over to Jessica and a few of the girls from their cheerleading squad, Bryce poured himself another beer and dragged me over to the small poker game Zack, Monty and Scott were having…

Much later into the night most of the girls from the cheer squad had paired off with some of the baseball player and others had called it a night, Bryce threw everyone in the clubhouse some fake id's and Marcus and I finally found out what Bryce's big surprise was for us both. The doors to the clubhouse opened and two attractive women entered the large wooden shed, Bryce led them over to the chill out area and stopped in front of Marcus and I

'I hope you virgins like your prizes, you both owe me one brother' he stated. 'Meet Candy and Carly'

The two women untied their cream raincoats from their body and let it fall to the ground; they were dressed in black and red lingerie complemented with stockings and suspender belts. Wolf whistles and loud cheers erupted from the guys as the two woman stood confidently in front of us

The two scantily clad women separated from each other and straddled both mine and Marcus's lap, moving arithmetically to the music on top of us and grinding our laps suggestively. The rest of the team cheered loudly and brought out there phone to record what was happening before them; the woman straddling me flipped her hair back and brought her mouth closer to my ear

'Want to go somewhere private handsome' Candy whispered alluringly

I nodded my head and that's when the woman planted her lips against mine and deepened the kiss, the small space erupted louder from the kiss as I wrapped my arms around her waist before getting up from the sofa

'That's my boy' Bryce yelled, clapping his hands together

The woman wrapped her legs tightly around my waist and delicately kissed my neck and sucked on my skin, earning a deep pleasurable groan from me as I lead us both to one of the spare rooms. Locking the door behind me so we could be alone in private, I placed the woman down gently on the bed as she trailed kiss across my cheek slowly reaching its destination to my lips, I pulled away from her luscious lips and kept my head down

'What's wrong babe' she questioned

'I'm sorry but I can't do this'

'But you seemed so sure and up for it out there?' she proclaimed. 'Is it me?'

'Oh god no Candy it's nothing to do with you, your gorgeous. It's not you sweetheart it's me' I explained. 'It's all an act for those boys out there'

'Are you a virgin sweetie?' she asked kindly. 'Because it's ok if you are, I've handled virgins before'

'I'm not a virgin in the slightest Candy just for the record. I'm just not in the right place to be physical with anyone right now'

'It's because you're in love with someone and you can't go through with this'

'I'm not in love sweetheart I can assure you that' I proclaimed

'I've slept with every kind of guy out there in the universe and I know when someone is in love with a girl'

'So what if I am' I protested

'Then you're one of the special ones babe, you know what you want and you're not looking into fooling around to mask over your feelings'

'But she is already with someone else Candy I don't do cheating'

'Don't push her Mason just wait for the right moment to say how you feel'

'What if there's never a right moment to say something at all'

'There's always a moment just be patience' Candy proclaimed, placing her hand over mine

I nodded my head at her advice and smiled weakly at Candy, even louder cheers sounded from the other side of the door as we turned to look at it. Candy and I passed the time talking and getting to know each other more and continued misleading everyone we were having sex but grunting the odd couple of sounds here and there loud enough for them to hear…..

Half an hour later of talking to Candy in the spare bedroom I left and kept the door ajar, walking back into the main area of the clubhouse a few of my baseball teammates cheered and hollered at my presence in the room. Walking over to the drink table I poured myself another drink in a fresh cup and turned around to see what else I might have missed

Carly had moved onto giving Zack a lap dance and the rest of the boys were drooling over the way she moved to the music, not much had really changed out here whilst I was gone with Candy other than a bong pipe being passed around. Looking out in the distance I noticed Bryce was having a chat with Jessica in her ear, she didn't look amused by his company and was trying to keep a distance from him but he kept a hand on her arm stopping her, Bryce slammed a hand against Jessica's ass cheek and gave a squeeze suggestively before she tried to slap him for his actions

Seeing everything unfold in front of my every eyes I moved over quickly to them and pulled Jessica free from Bryce's grasp, keeping her behind me I swung my right fist into his jaw and sent a drunken Bryce falling to the floor. Bryce must have shook off his drunken haze from my punch and got up straight away

'What the fuck Baker' he slurred

'Stay away from her Bryce' I huffed. 'I saw what you did to her and don't deny anything'

'I didn't do shit'

'Go sober up you drunken fucking mess'

'Fuck you' he hissed, holding up both of his clinched fists

Monty, Scott and Oscar came rushing over quickly to Bryce's side and kept a healthy wall between the both of us; the trio lead him away back to the main party where Carly was preforming and Oscar cast an apologetic side glance over what happened. Looking over at the couch Justin was still out of it for the night and hadn't been woken up yet from any of the sound out in here at all, turning to Jessica I sighed deeply and smiled weakly at her

'Wanna get out of here'

'Say no more'

'Come on I'll walk you home Jess'

Jessica nodded her head as we quietly slide out of the clubhouse into the cool night fresh air, leaving silently through the woodland and going out of the secret entrance that led to the clubhouse without being seen by local residence that lived nearby….

Walking Jessica up the path to her front door and seeing the lights were out downstairs of her house, I continued on and stopped at the porch as we turned to each other and awkward twitch amongst ourselves as I placed my hands into my letterman jacket pockets

'Thanks again for saving me against Bryce' she sighed

'It's no problem Jess' I exclaimed. 'You sure you don't want to report it to the police'

'I'm sure Slick and nothing will happen anyway if I do say something'

'I'll back you up Jess if you want at the police station'

'It's fine Mason and you already gave him his punishment for the night' she smiled. 'Doubt he'll be doing it again anytime soon'

I nodded my head and a smiled crept out onto my face as Jessica chuckled, she stepped forward and pressed her lips against the side of my cheek before pulling away moments later. Jessica mouthed thank you as I walked out from her porch and waited at the bottom of her front garden, she wiggled her fingers and stepped into her house as I waved back until she was out of sight. Pushing deeper into my pockets of my jacket I started making my way back home

Finally arriving back home twenty minutes later I saw all of the lights of the house were out and everyone must have been asleep inside, quietly entering through the front door of the house I navigated through to my bedroom and dumbed my jacket on the bed. Coming back out in the hallway to go to the bathroom I noticed the light was still on and the door was unlocked, slowly pushing open the door I saw Hannah stood motionless in front of the sink mirror

'Hannah' I sighed gently

She was zoned out from her surrounding and in her own little bubble as she stared at herself and the two long jagged scars on her forearms, walking into the bathroom and stopping behind Hannah I carefully placed a hand on left shoulder, Hannah jumped suddenly which scared the ever living day light out of me

'What are you doing all alone in here Hannah' I asked kindly

'I came to use to the toilet and whilst I was washing up I saw my scars and I got lost staring at them and the bath tub'

'I bet this room holds painful memories for you Hannah'

'Every time I look at the tub I see myself from the day you know….'

I nodded my head knowing Hannah couldn't continue as she must still feel weak and embarrassed to talk about her attempt. 'We'll get the whole bathroom redecorated and get a shower unit put in here instead'

'I don't want to burden mom and dad any more than I have done Mason' she explained. 'We're still behind on the back rent and we can't afford any more expenses'

'Aunt Liv told me it's a priority to get the bathroom refurbished anyway, not just for you but you guys have had it since you moved in here' I informed her. 'And to take any more burden off your shoulders I'm looking for a job so I can help contribute to the house and take some stress off you getting a job to help out straight away'

'Thank you Mason for everything'

'We're family alright Hannah, we look out for one another'

Hannah nodded her head whilst stepped forward and wrapped her arm tightly around my waist; she held onto me tightly and pressed the side of her cheek against my chest as I felt tears run down her cheek. I cupped the back of her head and soothingly stroked her short cut hair as I pressed a loving kiss on the top of her head

'Did you have a good sleep with Clay?' I teased

Hannah lifted herself off me and slapped my chest hard with her hand. 'You're an asshole'

'Don't think I didn't see you snuggled with him again after I left' I exclaimed. 'I take it that he's gone home for the night'

'Umm….' She hesitated

Hannah smiled awkwardly and stepped away from me as I raised a brow and questioned myself whether Clay was really here or not. I soon got my answer as another figure lingered in the doorway of the bathroom; Clay came into the room dressed in some sleep shorts and t-shirt and not the clothes he arrived in earlier

'Hey Mason' he greeted calmly. 'What are you doing up Hannah'

'I couldn't sleep Helmet, some things are running on my mind right now'

'Come on Hannah let's go back to bed' Clay suggested, holding out his hand

Hannah nodded and took a hold of his hand and interlaced their fingers together, they waved goodnight and then Clay led them out of the bathroom and out into the hallway

'Hannah' I questioned, following right behind them

'See you in the morning Mason' she replied quickly

Hearing the door close behind them I knew something was definitely going on between them as they couldn't look me in the eyes as they held hands, sure it may be nothing of something but a gut feeling was telling me there was something more there than what I was seeing….

After my morning run the next day I knew Clay had already gone from the house and now was the perfect time to talk to Hannah alone in her bedroom, knocking on her bedroom door with the shoebox in my hand I entered the room and shut the door behind me quickly

'Here's the shoebox that you wanted me to get for you from Justin' I exclaimed, throwing the box down gently on the bed

'Thanks Mason and I'm sorry you got hit in the face trying to get it for me'

'Forget about it. I taught someone a very important lesson that day' I proclaimed, thinking if Meth Seth was still keeping his promise. 'Can I ask you something?'

'Of course' she smiled happily. 'Anything'

'About the tapes'

Hannah's face fell instantly and this was another sensitive topic she didn't want to go too heavily into that much, but there was something that was bothering me about the tapes that I couldn't just let it go and forget about

'What are on these tapes Hannah?' I asked

'It's nothing Mason, it's just something for a class project' she whimpered, holding the box tightly in her hands

'Something you sent to Justin Foley by mistake' I questioned. 'I don't believe you Hannah one bit'

'It's the truth I'm telling you' she proclaimed

'So why did you send me in an urgent rush to get them if it was nothing important Hannah. I want to know what's on these tapes'

'No Mason' she pleaded. 'Please don't listen to them'

'Give me one good reason why not Hannah. There's something you're keeping from me, I thought we could tell each other anything' I stated tearfully. 'Whatever it is we'll deal with it together Hannah'

Hannah shook her head and tightened her arms around the box that was resting against her chest, she wasn't going to show me what's inside anytime soon and Hannah would most likely dispose of them for good. The front door bell rang which jumped both of us in surprise who it could be at this time of the morning; Hannah left her bedroom with box in her hands to answer the door so I couldn't get them.

She entered her bedroom in a matter of minutes with Clay in tow with her; Hannah was hiding the shoebox in front of her from Clay as he seemed oblivious to it. She placed it down on her dresser and covered it with a t-shirt so he didn't see it as they sat down on the bed

'Back again so soon Clay' I huffed

'Yeah is that a problem' he asked between us both

'Yes' I replied

'No' Hannah interjected. 'No it's fine Helmet, you can stay'

'If I'm interrupting something I could come back later if that's any better to you both'

'No don't be stupid you're already here now and you're a guest' Hannah stated. 'Isn't that right Mason'

'We're not done here Hannah'

Hannah nodded her head tearfully as Clay opened up his backpack and dumped down packets of sweets on the bed, turning away I could hear they were discussing what film to watch and I looked at the t-shirt. Grabbing the small chance that presented itself I swiped the shoebox from underneath the t-shirt and kept it in front me whilst I left Hannah's bedroom

Pulling out an old gift from my mother from my suitcase I finally found my Walkman and sat down on the bed, ejecting out an old mix tape I had made with my mother I placed it on the night stand, lifting off the slid of the shoebox and removing the bubble wrap I found a map and seven tapes underneath. Pulling out a tape case I saw hand drawn sketched in multiple colours on the cover, the tape was marked with blue paint with the number one on it and two on the back; placing the tape into the deck I adjusted my headphones on my ears and pressed play on the device

_'__Hey, it's Hannah. Hannah Baker'_

'What the fuck' I sighed deeply, looking down on the Walkman

_'__Don't adjust your, whatever device your listening to this on. It's me, live and in stereo. No return adjustments, no encore and this time absolutely no requests. Settle in, grab a snack, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to this tape, you're one of the reasons why._

Pressing pause I could believe what I just head from Hannah, it all makes sense now why she didn't leave a suicide note for any of us. I dread to think what other unmentionable things I would have to hear on all of the tapes, hitting the play button on the Walkman I continued on with the tapes…..

_'__I've got a question for you Justin, not the one you think, not yet. What's the best part of high school? The great friends you make? The romance? No. We both know the best part of high school... is summer break. It's the great reset button. And after everything that happened to me sophomore year, I couldn't wait to start fresh, to tear the rest of the pages from my journal and forget it all. Except I didn't get very far'_

_'__I had to do something; I had to make him stop. But I couldn't get my feet to move, it was dark in there and the music was loud but I saw his face, I recognised his voice as clear as day' _

_'__I've told you about two of the worst decisions I ever made, and the damage left behind, and the people who got hurt. There's one more story to tell, one more bad decision and this one is all on me. No, it wasn't the decision to go to the party, cause how could I have known? But it was the same night, that same awful night. Remember that story I was saving for later? Well, this is it. And it's all about you, Clay'_

_'__Clay, Helmet. Your name does not belong on this list but you need to be here if I'm going to tell my story, if I am going to explain why I did what I did. Because you aren't every other guy, you're different, you're good and kind and decent, and I didn't deserve to be with someone like you, I never would. I would have ruined you, it wasn't you it was me; and everything that has happen to me'_

_'__Here we are. Tape 12. If you've listened this far and you haven't heard your name, well, I bet you know exactly what's coming now. Or maybe you don't have any idea, could that be true? Could a person be that sick? Let's find out, but first, we have to start at the beginning of the worst day of my life'_

_'__When I tried to climb out of the hot tube you grabbed my arm, you traced your fingers down my bra strap then over my bra. You used your body to keep me trapped there, I was frozen, I was terrified'_

_'__Then I tried to climb out of the hot tube, you pulled me back in. you told me we were just having fun, I struggled but you were too strong for me, you pulled my underwear down and used your body to trap me there. You gripped my wrists and pushed yourself inside of me, it felt like a knife cutting me open, I begged you please Bryce but you told me to relax, you said you would go nice and easy but you went harder and faster'_

_'__When I cried out in pain you grabbed my hair like the sound of my pain made it better for you. I just tried to leave my body; I tried to forget the anger and pain. If you're lucky you live a long life and one day your body just gives up and it's over, the way I see it there are two kinds of death, if you're not lucky you die a little bit; over and over until you realise it's too late. And in that moment it felt like I was already died' _

_'__I think I've made myself very clear... But no one's coming forward to stop me. Some of you care. None of you cared enough. Neither did I. And I'm sorry. So... it's the end of Tape 13. There's nothing more to say'_

Ripped my headphones off my ear I couldn't believe what I just listen too on the tapes, I didn't want to believe Jessica and my little sister Hannah had both been raped by that evil rapist Bryce Walker, I wanted nothing more than to go over and kill him now and rip his spine out of his body. I couldn't even let them both know I knew something had happened to them when Jessica seems to be unaware herself.

I climbed off the bed and changed quickly into my workout gear so I could go down to the gym and let off some built up steam, hurrying out of the house I went into the downtown of Crestmont and into City Gym building….

After my pleasantries with Caleb and Tony behind the desk of the gym I went over to an empty area of the gymnasium and started my work out on the bag, trying to forget what I had just heard on them seven tapes that Hannah made for her reasons why. Striking the bag as hard as I could with both of my fist the details of Jessica's and Hannah's rape played on my mind as I imagined the bag to be Bryce Walker

Hoping that I would get to make him pay for what he has done and not only ruined theirs lives by that horrific act but god knows how many more girls during his time at Liberty High school.

'Hey Mason'

Hearing the call of my name behind me I stopped punching the bag and dropped both of my fist to the side of my body, turning aroubd and coming face to face with a sober now Justin Foley

'Hey Justin' I greeted

'Listen man I just want to thanks for walking Jess home last night, you know since I was kinda out of it'

'You were knocked out cold already before I arrived' I stated. 'Did Jess tell you anything about what happened last night?'

'Not much other than you got some last night from that stripper and Marcus came in his pants after a first lap stroke from Candy. She said it was a quiet night really'

'Jesus'

Sighing deeply I guess Jessica couldn't tell her boyfriend that she had been groped last night by his best friend Bryce Walker, it wasn't my place to tell Justin anything and stir up more trouble between the four of us than I already had when I punched Bryce in the face in front of everyone

'You got to look after your girlfriend Justin and especially around people you trust most' I huffed

'I will dude don't worry about her' he proclaimed. 'Jessica's safe round me'

'I meant it Justin I aint going to be there every time you pass out drunk and keep an eye on her, you have to be a better boyfriend because believe me buddy you don't deserve her one bit'

'What's that supposed to mean' Justin exclaimed annoyingly

'Nothing Justin at all' I exclaimed, holding my hands up in retreat. 'Just be someone she deserves okay'

Justin nodded his head and left the area of the punching bags as I raised my fist in front of me again, Looking out of the corner of my eye I saw Justin meet up with Bryce, Monty, Zack and Alex who were stood outside the gym. Turning back to the bag I continued to let out my anger over what I knew…


	8. Chapter 8

Walking down the busy street with Sheri by my side after spending the morning with the rest of the girls from the cheer squad going over our routines practises for some upcoming games, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye on the other side of the road. Spotting Bryce and a few fellow jocks looking through the windows of the City Gym building and making jokes between them, I pulled Sheri to one side and into a nearby store so we weren't seen by the immature boys

'What the hell Jess' she proclaimed. 'What are we doing in here?'

'Sorry Sheri but I don't want to see any of the jocks right now'

'Is it because of what happened last night?'

'How do you know about that?' I questioned, raising a brow. 'You weren't even there last night at the clubhouse to see what happened'

'Sorry girl but word gets around fast on the cheer team when half of them spends the night with the baseball team'

'None taken girl, I just don't want to talk about it anyway'

Sheri nodded her head understandingly why I didn't want to say anymore because she had some other unmentionable stuff happen in the clubhouse to her she didn't feel comfortable talking about, knowing I'd seen it happen to her and that I wouldn't push her why that had happened in the first place. We went back to watching what was happening across the road from us, a few minutes later my boyfriend Justin Foley came out of the gym and met up with the others waiting for him outside, they laughed and teased Justin before walking down the street and as far away as possible from City Gym

'I didn't know Justin when to City Gym for his workouts sessions' Sheri exclaimed

'He doesn't he normally uses the one in the school' I informed her. 'I don't know who he might be talking or meeting up with in there, Justin lives on the other side of town so he has no reason to be going to that gym'

'Let's go and check it out Jess who the person might be'

Quickly leaving the store we were both hiding in once the coast was clear from the jocks; we ran across the road and stopped outside the windows of City Gym. Peering through the window I saw nothing out of the ordinary than people going about their workout, at the back of the studio I noticed Mason going about his usual workout on the bag as a furious pace, he seemed more tensed today than usually

'Isn't that Mason in there' Sheri pointed out

'Yeah it is'

'Do you think Justin might have went in here to talk to him'

'They really don't have much in common other than being on the same team in baseball'

It wasn't my place to be telling Sheri anything that Mason had done for Justin back at his apartment block with Meth Seth. Maybe Justin went in there to ask Mason what happened last night instead of hearing any lies the team might have feed him

'If Justin had said anything to him then it has surely fired him up' Sheri interjected

'You can say that again' I exclaimed

Mason didn't stop for any breaks during his session on the bag and kept on hitting it with a powerful punches, he definitely had something on his mind that got it him all worked up

'I know Hannah's beautiful and all but damn, who knew she was hiding away a hot cousin'

I couldn't help but giggle as it came out of my mouth so suddenly by her statement. 'Sheri'

'What! Tell me you wouldn't want to spend the night with him if you could Jessica, he's so hot'

'I'm not saying anything on the matter, I have a boyfriend Sheri'

'You're not confirming or denying anything Jess' she teased. 'Anyway, how's Hannah doing? You heard anything new from her'

'Not recently I haven't Sheri but I've seen her a couple of times down at the hospital but I haven't paid her a home visit yet which I really should do'

'I'm so glad she survived her suicide attempt. I hope she's getting all the help she needs now to get better'

'Having Mason around for a start seems to be helping her and so is having Clay Jensen'

'So Clay is finally acting on his feelings then'

'What do you mean? Acting on his feelings' I stated

'Don't be so obvious Jess we all know that boy has a thing for Hannah Baker' she proclaimed. 'Clay's in love with her'

'Has Clay said that he was to you?' I exclaimed, raising a brow. 'I thought they were just friends that's all'

'Well from what you have told me about Mason, he'll be hoping for that as well if he ever finds out' Sheri replied

'Clay and Hannah are not that stupid to get together without him knowing, Clay's too scared to say he wants to be with Hannah to him'

Looking back through the window of the gym studio we watched Mason continue on with his boxing training for a little while longer, last thing Mason would need on his mind right now is the idea of Clay and Hannah getting together when he's still protective of her after more recent events involving her.

Half an hour later after walking around the town with Sheri I dropped off my bag in my bedroom and jumped into the shower unit, taking a longer wash to clear my thoughts before I would go and visit Hannah. I changed into some dark blue jeans and into a white polka dot blouse, checking my appearance in the mirror I left my house to go over to the Baker residence….

I arrived at the Baker residences not long after and made my way up the path, gently knocking on the door which was opened after the first knock; startling myself and Mrs Baker as we didn't expect to see each other so quick

'Hey Mrs Baker, is Hannah home' I greeted warmly

'Hi sweetheart and yeah she is' she informed me. 'Hannah's in her room'

Mrs Baker showed me into the living room and not much had changed in this house since the last time I was here little over a year ago when I was practically over most days when I first met Hannah, some much had happen between then and now and how we drifted apart but thing are going to change now. Mrs Baker left shortly after to go back to the store and told me to make myself at home, I wondered down the corridor of the house and stopped outside Hannah's door, hearing short muffling sounds from the other side I peered open the door slightly to see in

'I still can't believe you actually gave me a hickey Hannah'

Hannah giggled lightly which caused Clay to blush, feeling his love bite on the side of his neck. 'I couldn't help it Helmet, I wanted to claim what's mine'

'I was already yours Hannah to begin with'

Hannah gently pressed her hand against the side of Clay's neck; trailing her tips over his now brushing hickey before placing a gentle kiss on the mark. She then cupped his cheek and brought it closer to her, Clay rested his forehead against Hannah's before locking their gazes with each other

'I know that know Helmet'

Clay smiled happily and leaned his head down before softly connecting his lips against Hannah's, he passionately kissed her and then Hannah placed her hand against his cheek; deepening the kiss even more before they pulled away breathless moments later

'I love you Hannah'

'I love you too Clay'

They both licked their lips in preparation before getting back into their make out session again; their lust was definitely filling the room quickly. Hannah wrapped her arms around Clay's neck and deeply kissed his lips before trailing off to his cheek and then his neck. Feeling a bit like a pervert for watching them I thought it was best if I made my presence known to them now, clearing out my throat so it sounded like I had just arrived I called out to Hannah

'Hey Hannah, you home'

Taking a few seconds to make them think I had arrived I knocked on Hannah's door and opened it slowly; Hannah and Clay pulled away from each other quickly and sat opposite each other. Their cheeks were bright red that they had been embarrassed that they might have been caught out of their little secret; Hannah ran her hand through Clay's hair and styled it out for him

'There' you go Clay I think I got it out'

'Thanks Hannah' he replied coolly back. 'Oh hey Jess'

Clay got up from Hannah's bed and packed a few dvds into his bag before slinging his backpack over his shoulder, whilst walking back sheepishly Clay bumped into the bed stand and wardrobe as I entered the bedroom.

'Leaving so soon Clay' I stated, raising a brow

'I've just remembered I had this thing I said I would help my mom with so I gotta go, I promise to come back later Hannah when I'm done' he mumbled. 'See ya Jess, bye Hannah'

'I'll see you out Helmet' Hannah interjected

Clay nodded his head quickly and was practically out of the room before I even could say goodbye to him, Hannah soon followed quickly behind him as I made my way over to her bedroom window that peered out onto the path. I could hear them say goodbye to each other and Clay made his way down the path before stopping and turning around at Hannah's voice, she ran up to the boy and hugged him tightly before checking if the coast was clear, they shared a quick sweet kiss before saying their goodbyes to each other.

Quickly hurrying away from the window and trying to act casual I sat down in her moon chair, roughing a hand through my long black hair and pulling out my phone from my jean pocket with the other. A text message came through from Justin and I swiped it right to dismiss it from my notification bar, Hannah re-entered her bedroom moments later and sat down on the bed opposite the chair

'Sorry about that Jess' she smiled weakly. 'How are you doing?'

'I should be the one asking you that Hannah, I haven't seen you in weeks since you been discharged and I'm sorry about that'

'Don't be Jess, you were probably busy anyway but you're here now'

'And I'm gonna be Hannah' I assured her. 'I want us to be close again like we were after we first met outside of Mrs Antilly's office, I miss those days I missed us'

'I've missed you too Jess like you wouldn't have known'

'And I'm sorry about slapping you in the face in Monet's'

'We don't need to talk about that Jess ever. That was in the past between us and I've moved on from that, we don't need to bring that up again or that list because you know the real truth about it don't you'

'Yeah I know the truth Hannah and I know you wouldn't hurt me like that even in the slightest' I admitted. 'I guess I couldn't take that Alex just broke up with me suddenly and that list just gave me a reason to lash out at someone and that ended up costing me a best friend'

'I totally understand and I would have done the same if I were in your shoes and clutching at anything to give me a reason to blame someone for a sudden breakup'

'FML'

'FML' Hannah mirrored

I got up from the moon chair and made my way over to Hannah as she rose up from the bed, wrapping my arms around her tightly as she had done the same. I could feel tears leaving my eyes as it felt good to finally clear that air about that fall out and move on now between us, pulling away Hannah eyes were watery also and I knew she had missed me too like I had with her, we sat down on the bed and turned to face each other

'So anyway, Clay seemed to be in a rush to get away all of a sudden'

'Yeah something must have come up at home' Hannah proclaimed

'He seemed to fight a lot harder at the hospital to come and be by your side when he was blocked off so many times by Mason'

'Yeah it must have been rough for him because I know too well what Mason can be like when a boy tries to get a bit too close for his comfort' Hannah admitted, dripping her gaze. 'Can I be honest with you Jess?'

'Of course you can Hannah' I assured her whilst placing my hand on top of hers

'You promise what I'm about to tell you, you won't tell anyone at all including Mason' she proclaimed

I nodded my head and gave Hannah my undivided attention as she looked like she wanted to get something massive off her chest; I turned towards her fully and nodded again to encourage Hannah that secret would be safe with me

'Umm Clay has asked me something' she murmured

'He hasn't asked you to marry him or something has he'

'No not that Jess but something quite as serious' Hannah informed me. 'Clay has asked me to be his girlfriend'

'Holy shit' I gasped sharply, surprised that it's taken the boy this long to say something to Hannah. 'And what have you said'

'Yes' she smiled happily whilst nodding her head

'Oh my god!' I exclaimed happily. 'I'm really happy for you Hannah, you two deserve each other'

'Thanks Jess it means a lot' Hannah replied. 'Please don't tell Mason about Clay being my boyfriend, he'll lose it if I or Clay don't tell him first'

'Don't worry your secret is safe with me' I stated, crossing an x over my heart. 'You and Clay might want to get better at making out when you're sure your alone in the house'

'You saw us'

'I wouldn't have said anything if you didn't tell me you and Clay are together, it's not my place to say anything what I saw'

'Shit' Hannah groaned. 'When did you see us make out Jess?'

'A few minutes just before I came over why' I questioned confusedly

'You don't think Mason could have seen me and Clay making out in here do you?'

'I don't see how Hannah' I stated, raising a brow

'We started fooling around ten minutes after Mason had left in the morning and he hasn't been back to the house since then' she sighed deeply. 'I think he might know about us'

'Don't panic he's been down the gym all morning Hannah, he wouldn't have known in the slightest' I assured her. 'Don't say anything to him unless he says something innocuous about you two first'

'But what if he does know? Then what'

'Then just be honest with him Hannah. He's your cousin after all' I admitted. 'Yes Mason will be mad at first at both of you and especially Clay but he knows you both deserve a chance to be happy'

'What about you Jess' Hannah remarked. 'Are you happy with Justin'?

That was a question I was asking myself lately when I thought about my boyfriend, we did seem happy together but something seems off with him like Justin was hiding something from me

'I guess so Hannah'

'Guess so or you know so' she questioned

'I think Justin is hiding something from me'

'Like what'

'That's the thing I don't know Hannah' I exclaimed. 'I'm in no position to push him for answers to questions I don't even know of myself'

Hannah nodded her head and smiled weakly at me just like the same way Justin does when he's asked me how I feel about us, she must know something the way Justin has been acting the past few weeks but I couldn't just ask Hannah straight up without any evidence

Moments later the sound of the front door open and footsteps could be heard walking around in the house, first to the kitchen and then down the hall to Hannah's bedroom. The door swung open suddenly and Mason stood by the frame of the door, he looked into the room and smiled weakly at the both of us

'We're not done Hannah I still want to have a word with you about you know what'

'Ok Mason' she nodded tearfully

Mason huffed loudly before closing the door on his way out of Hannah's bedroom, he looked more stressed out than I saw him at City Gym. Something huge must have went down between them as they were all hiding secrets of their own

'What was that about Hannah?' I asked

'Nothing important'

Brushing off her cold response I quickly changed the subject between us and talked about the first day Hannah had to come back to Liberty, she told me Clay would be beside her the whole day and I gave Hannah my reassurance that I would do the same also if she needed a friendly face if she didn't have a class with Clay or Mason throughout the day…..

As the moon shone through my half closed curtains on the rails of my bedroom wall I turned over in my bed towards my boyfriend Justin Foley, he rested shirtless with his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

'Do you think Mason's ok' I piped up as a peaceful silence fell between us

'What' Justin remarked, raising a brow

'He seems a little distressed about something and I saw you talking to him earlier at the gym today'

'Baker is fine Jess nothing to worry about their' he replied. 'Just guys problems I guess'

'What did he say to you then because I know you went to see him'

'I thanked him for walking you home the other night and he said I had to be a better boyfriend. Some nerve right saying that to me when I've treated you with nothing but respect, like I don't even deserve you'

'Yeah some nerve' I whimpered

If only you had been sober enough to stay awake during the whole party then you might have known what had really gone down then some bullshit lie Bryce must have fed you. Justin went quiet and deep into his own thoughts again, he'd been doing that a lot lately and I haven't the faintest idea why

'What are you thinking about?' I asked quietly

'Nothing really Jess' he replied. 'You sure your dad isn't going to come back to your room'

'He's already said good night to me, he's not going to disturb me now unless it's an emergency'

'Hasn't stopped him before coming into your room when I had to quickly dive under your bed'

'I thought you loved all the secrecy from my parents when you come over'

'I do Jess but we've had so many close calls that I don't even bother keeping track of them now'

I rose up from the bed and cupped his soft cheek whilst bring him closer to me, sealing our lips together passionately and pulling away slowly moments later. Justin sighed contently from the kiss as a shiver ran down his body, we had only been going out for a few weeks but little physical contact between us made us shake in a nervous but excited way

I returned back to kiss Justin delicate face so I could feel that tingle that you get in the first few months of any new relationship, pulling away for breath I saw Mason's face on Justin body. Shaking those thoughts away quickly I concentrated on who was really in front of me

Leaning over him I kissed the top of Justin's shoulder gently and left a trail of slow kisses down his bare chest, stopping at the waistband of his boxer briefs as I trailed my hand over his hardening member

'What are doing Jess' he asked curiously

'Just relax babe' I whispered seductively, sliding my hand under his briefs

'We don't have too if you don't want to' he proclaimed, whilst taking a hold of my wrist to stop me from going further

'I'm good Justin' I remarked

'You've been down on me the last few times Jess. It's only fair that I return the favour'

I nodded my head and pulled out my hand from underneath Justin's briefs slowly; laid back down on my bed and Justin threw the covers off both of us and pushed it to one side of the bed. His fingers slowly traced the outsides of my thighs before curling under the top of my navy coloured panties, Justin pulled them down my legs slowly and threw them behind him as a loud clap of thunder boomed outside my bedroom window

'You ok' he asked

'I'm ok babe'

Justin returned back to me and closed the space between our bodies as he kissed the side of my neck, my body stumbled with pleasure from his kisses and I felt Justin's hand near my entrance, gently rubbing my outer lips in a circular motion. I could hear the rain starting to fall outside as it crashed against my bedroom window, another loud crash of thunder boomed and my mind wondered else in that moment.

My mind took me back to early September when I threw my first ever high school party in the town of Crestmont, there were similarity to that night when I hooked up with my boyfriend. A small rain storm had occurred whilst I was resting in my bedroom; I could vaguely remember having sex with Justin when he'd been on top of me but he smelt different that he usually did that night when I had been by his side most of the evening.

That sex was the most painful that I had ever experienced in my life and I could remember blacking out during most of it and not being able to push Justin off me or tell him to slow down.

Feeling overwhelmed from what had happen that night and what is happening right now I pushed Justin off with ease which confused me that I couldn't manage too last time. Running my hands over my face and pulling the covers to conceal my body I tried to clear my thoughts and concentrate what was happening right now

'What the fuck Jess' Justin sighed deeply

'Just leave'

'It's the middle of the night Jess I have nowhere to go to' he pleaded

'Please Justin just go' I ordered

'We'll talk about this tomorrow babe'

Justin let out a deep groan before getting out of the bed and grabbed his clothes from off the floor; I watched him get changed into his clothes in a hurry and smiled weakly at me before leaving back out through the window. Throwing my hands over my face again I couldn't help but think this night couldn't have gone any more than a disaster than the night of my party…..

After tossing and turning most of the night I was getting some restless sleep with my mind running wild all over to different thoughts, that memory of having sex with Justin at the night of the party till played on my mind for reasons I don't know why. Turning over in my bed I saw the digital alarm clock that read it was three in the morning and I knew I wouldn't be going back to sleep so easily

I pushed the covers off my body to cool myself down from the warm heat and a cold breeze washed over my bear arms, my hand fluttered to my stomach and my pulse kicked up. Between my thighs I could feel an ache growing down there and intensifying

I closed my eyes as I slipped my hand under the loose band of my sleeping shorts. The tips of my fingers reaching the bundle of nerves and a shot of pure electricity flew straight threw me, with my heart pounding out of my chest my fingers slid through the wetness that had gathered there.

'Holy shit' I whispered

There was no stopping this happening now as a huge desire burned right through me, whilst my hand lingered down in my shorts an image of Mason appeared in my mind. He had a lustful gaze in his eyes and his mouth was against mine, patient but yet demanding. I couldn't seem to shake Mason off my mind whilst I continued to stroke myself, feeling too good to just suddenly stop but all it seemed to do was flame the fire even more inside me.

I caught my lower lip between my teeth and my fingers flicked back and forth before I drew in a deep breath and pushed in. A sharp gasp had escaped from me and I still couldn't believe I was getting myself off to the thought of Mason.

'Fucking hell' I groaned in pleasure

I pushed a little deeper inside of me and the pressure of my palm against the apex sent another jolt through me. My hips jerked up off the bed and the burning sensation spread all over me, bringing my hips back down onto the bed I rocked in tiny circle and sensation kept building up inside me deeper and deeper.

I could feel myself to the point of exploding and I knew that it was coming soon, seconds away even. In an instant, I pictured Mason doing this to me—with his hand, his fingers and that was it. All I needed to get myself off, a deep moan erupted from inside me, whipping through my body and scattering all my thoughts.

I felt totally limp and just laid on top of my bed to calm myself back down as my heart rate returned back to a normal pace and the trimmers had subsided. I couldn't believe I was feeling like this, touching myself before never felt this good even when I properly tried too to jack off

Somehow though even as the pleasant peace invaded my tired some body, carrying me off to a peaceful night sleep now. I knew that whatever I had just felt, something was deeply lacking from it. That if I was with a guy I wanted to be with doing this- Mason. All of this would've been amplified to another level above and I wanted to feel that, with that person in mind to send us both over the edge in deep pleasure

I wanted to feel that with Mason…...


	9. Chapter 9

_'__I think I've made myself very clear... But no one's coming forward to stop me. Some of you care. None of you cared enough. Neither did I. And I'm sorry. So... it's the end of Tape 13. There's nothing more to say'_

Pulling my headphones off my ears I was still numb to the core listening to the tapes again a second time around, I didn't know what to do going forward but the one thing I did know I wanted to make sure Bryce Walker pays for who he has hurt. I dread to think how many girls are out there that he has raped that they are unaware what has happened to them

I removed the tape from my Walkman and placed it back inside the shoebox, hiding the box from view if Aunt Liv or Uncle Andy happens to past by my room and become curious why I had a woman's shoebox. Leaving my bedroom I walked out into busy and bustling living room to find Hannah sat alone at the dining table disinterested in a bowl of corn flakes

Hannah couldn't bear to look me in the eyes as I moved past and went into the kitchen to make myself some breakfast; grabbing a cup of coffee and a bowl of corn flakes also I returned back to the dining area and sat down near Hannah. Just by looking at her I could tell my little sister was hiding something else major from me

'Hannah'

A few seconds past before Hannah looked up from her bowl and acknowledged me. 'Yeah Mason'

'I know everything' I stated calmly

'You know what?' she questioned, raising a brow

'I found out everything yesterday and I just couldn't believe it'

'I'm so sorry Mason I didn't want you to find out like this' Hannah cried, throwing her hands over her face and shook her head. 'Clay and I would have come clean to you eventually….'

'What's he done now then?' I questioned

'What do you mean what's Clay done? I though you knew everything'

'Sorry what?' I asked confusedly whilst shaking my head trying to understand everything that was happening

Hannah must have thought I was talking about the tapes but I guess she must have forgotten about her shoebox with the couple of visitors yesterday taking her mind of them. She was holding a new secret of her own of how apologetic she was over her and Clay, my mind was too focused on the tapes to be worrying over something Clay and Hannah have done; surely if it was important they would have been straight with me right from the off?

'Let's start again Hannah' I suggested. 'I know everything, about the tapes'

'How do you know everything Mason?' she questioned. 'I though you gave them back to me yesterday before Clay came over'

'I did Hannah but curiosity got the better of me' I informed her. 'I needed to know what was on them, I'm sorry'

'How much have you heard Mason?'

'All thirteen sides twice' I admitted

'You've listened to why I wanted to kill myself and the people behind my reasons twice' Hannah exclaimed, shocked that I had done twice

'I needed to understand everything Hannah' I admitted. 'First time I heard them I couldn't believe what I was hearing and quickly went through them to get to the end of it'

'Why torture yourself and hear them all again Mason'

'I wanted to make sure I heard everything right the first time I did'

Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy came out of the kitchen and into open living room; they were busy getting ready for the day ahead by picking up phones and keys off the sideboard. Uncle Andy went down the corridor to his bedroom whilst Aunt Liv step forward to the table

'What's this you need to understand Mason?' Aunt Liv asked, raising a brow

They both must have heard some of our conversations from the kitchen, I wouldn't accuse them of eavesdropping but taking some interest what was going on in our lives even if we didn't know they knew. Guess it must be a Baker trait; we're all good at hiding secrets

'It's nothing mom' Hannah interjected

'Hannah's right Aunt Liv it's nothing important' I sighed. 'Just someone for a class assignment'

Hannah got up from the table with her cereal bowl in hand and wondered off into the kitchen, she couldn't bear to look at either of us in the face. Aunt Liv sat down in Hannah's place and glanced over to the doorway to the kitchen before returning back to me

'Can I be honest with you babe' she asked kindly

'Of course Aunt Liv' I nodded

'How do you think Hannah is coping with everything at the minute' she asked sincerely. 'She hasn't opened up much to me or your uncle'

'Hannah hasn't opened up to me much either but I'll continue to try'

'Your uncle and I are considering getting therapy sessions for her so she can at least open up to someone on a professional level'

'Do really think that's the best idea for her Aunt Liv' I questioned

'Lainie said Clay had taken some therapy sessions and she reckons it helped him come out of his shell with his anxiety issues a little, she even gave me the number to the same doctor Clay saw.' Aunt Liv explained. 'We're running out of options on what to do going forward with Hannah'

'Just give her some space for now and let her breathe' I suggested hopefully. 'Hannah will come around eventually and open up to us all in her own time. We shouldn't push her too if she doesn't want too just yet'

'Ok babe I'll talk about it to your uncle' she sighed deeply. 'We'll back off for a few weeks and see if anything changes till then'

I nodded my head and Aunt Liv got up from the dining table, patting my arms gently before bending over and kissing the top of my head. She re-joined Uncle Andy by his side and lifted off the coats from the hook and slipped them on, before saying their goodbyes for the day and heading off to the store

Once the front door closed Hannah stuck her head out of the doorway to see if the coast was clear herself, finally re-entering the living room and sitting down on the sofa. Putting away the bowls and plates I used for my breakfast into the dishwasher I joined Hannah in the living room, sitting down on an opposite sofa to her so I could look Hannah in the eye, she tried refutably to avoid my stare and turned her neck to the other side of room

'So are you just going to give me the silent treatment all day?' I asked

'You still want to talk about the tapes' Hannah sighed deeply

'We have too Hannah'

'Why tho' she demanded

'Because we have to do something about them' I exclaimed. 'We're keeping vital evidence to ourselves Hannah'

'Half of it is not vital evidence Mason; it's just my truth on what really happened on the tapes'

'Bryce raped you and Jessica' I declared angrily. 'He's a rapist. I don't see how that's not vital evidence for everyone to know'

'Because I don't want everyone to know what he did to me, to Jess. And to god knows whoever else out there'

'From what I have heard on the tapes you're the only person who could get Bryce Walker sent down, it would be your word against his over what he done to you but you're a witness to Jessica's'

'Can we just stop talking about this now Mason' she pleaded

'I know it's hard to talk about Hannah and I can't imagine what you're going through but…'

'Exactly Mason' Hannah cried loudly. 'You have no idea what I'm going through, still going through now'

'And I'm sorry that you are' I replied tearfully, getting up from the sofa. 'But we have to do the right thing here Hannah'

Walking over to the portable phone that rested in its holder on the middle layer of glass on the tv stand, I pulled out the phone and began dialling the three digit code in the device. Hannah left the living room suddenly and went into the kitchen as I was patched through to an emergency call operator

'9-1-1 what's your emergency' the male voice on the other end of the call asked

'Yes hello I would like to report a….'

Hearing footsteps approaching behind me I turned on the spot and saw Hannah stood not that far behind, her eyes puffy and red with tears streaming down her face. In Hannah's right hand she clutched a large kitchen knife and held it above her left wrist

'What are you doing Hannah?' I exclaimed

'Sir is everything alright?' the male operated asked

'Everything is fine Sir just a false alarm my mistake' I replied back hurriedly. 'Sorry for wasting your time'

Before the emergency call operator had a chance to reply or stall for time so get a fix on our location where the call was coming from I ended the call, dropping the portable phone down on the coffee table and taking a step towards Hannah

'Just drop the knife and we'll talk Hannah' I proclaimed, holding out my hands in front me

'Nothing is going to change Mason if you phone the police and get them involved' she remarked. 'You're dealing with the higher members of a so called society'

'Alright Hannah no police or anyone. What I know stays between us and only us if that's what you want'

Hannah nodded her head tearfully and let out a ragged breath, she turned the knife so it laid flat against her skin and slowly slid the blade over her wrist. She couldn't bear to watch her actions and removed the sharp object away from her, taking slow and gentle steps to Hannah I took hold of the knife and placed it down behind me on the coffee table

'Don't scare me like that Hannah' I sighed deeply, 'Were you really going to do it if I called the police over here?'

'I think so'

'But why'

'It's the shame of it that I'm embarrassed off Mason' Hannah admitted. 'I let my best friend get raped and I was stupid enough to go to his party uninvited and get raped myself'

'You have nothing to be ashamed of Hannah, you did nothing wrong' I assured her. 'Your truth deserves to be heard some day'

'I can't face my truth publicly right now Mason, I know this whole god damn town is talking about me everywhere I go and me going public with the tapes will only make our family the centre of attention for the wrong reasons'

'I'm not going to tell you what's right or wrong thing to do because I don't know myself but I really think, whenever you are ready you should come forward and speak your truth and get justice for yourself and whoever else'

'I'll think about what's the best move for me going forward with the tapes'

'That is all I can ask from you sis' I assured her. 'Just think things over first before you decide what you want to do'

'You promise me you won't tell a single soul what you know from the tapes'

'I won't Hannah' I promised, crossing a x over my heart

'If you start opening your mouth and going after the people who hurt me, they'll question how do you know since you weren't here when it happened'

'I'll keep my distance and won't go after anyone I promise'

'I'm begging you Mason please don't go after Bryce for what he's done' she cried loudly. 'I need you'

'I'm not going anywhere Hannah I'm right here by your side'

Hannah nodded her head whilst I kept a firm grip on the side of her shoulder, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around protectively over my little sister body. Hannah clung onto my chest tightly and I could feel fresh tears straining my t-shirt, dipping my head down I soft placed a kiss on the top of her hair

'I'm just scared Bryce will find out somehow and come after either of us'

'He'll have to go through me first if he wants to lay a finger of you, I'm not letting him get close to any girl if I think he's going to rape them'

'But you can't be everywhere at once Mason'

'All I can promise you Hannah or any other girl at Liberty is that I'll try my best to prevent him from doing it to another girl' I proclaimed. 'Besides you have Clay by your side so I doubt he would ever leave you on your own if Bryce is ever around'

'Helmet doesn't know what Bryce has done to me and I can't just ask him to watch over me if he's near me at school'

'If you trust Clay like you say you do Hannah then I think you should tell him because he deserves to know what's going on with you and he'll want to be there for you'

'But what if I can't tell him'

'You don't have too Hannah' I informed her. 'Just give him the box of tapes to listen too; he was going to have to anyway when it would finally get to him'

'If I call Helmet over to listen to them will you stay here with us whilst we listen to them?'

'Of course I will Hannah' I nodded

Hannah walked away from my embrace and headed off to her bedroom to fetch her phone, she came back soon after and started going through her mobile device to find Clay's contact detail. Hannah's fingers were shaking uncontrollable as she tried to remain calm about the call she had to make, stepping forward I placed a hand on her shoulders to reassure her that I'd always be by her side

'Everything will be ok Hannah once you tell him'

'I was just thinking if I'm going to tell Helmet my truths then it's only fair that Jessica is here as well, she deserves to know what really happened at the night of her party'

'You reckon she doesn't know that she was raped by Bryce Walker' I questioned

'I wouldn't put it past Justin Foley to be feeding her a bunch of lies that they hooked up when Justin, Bryce and I know the truth of what really went down in that room'

'I'll text her to come over'

Reaching into my jean pocket I pulled out my phone and brought up a fresh text message screen, typing out if she was free right now and can she come over since Hannah wanted to tell her something important in person. My eyes meet Hannah's and we smiled weakly at each other before letting a big huff of breath, I don't know how we were going to break the news to Clay and Jessica when they arrive….

Not long after we had sent the text messages to Clay and Jessica they were already over here in twenty minutes, I showed them both into the living room and brought a glass of water for the four of us. Hannah emerged out of her bedroom with a boom box in one hand and her shoebox in the other, she placed them down on the coffee table and took a seat next to me on the couch

'Thanks for coming over as quick as you did' I proclaimed, trying to think of anything to say next

'As much as I like retro music with old fashion technology I hope you both haven't dragged Clay and I here to listen to some' Jessica sighed. 'I've got a few assignments that need doing for next week'

'We wouldn't have called you both here if it wasn't important Jess' I informed them. 'Hannah has something she wants to share with you guys'

'Ok what is it?' Clay interjected

'What I am about to share with you, can't leave this room Helmet' Hannah spoke raggedly. 'Promise me it will stay between us four because it will cause a whole lot of problems if word gets out'

'I promise' they both replied in unison

'When I tried to…..' Tears quickly filling Hannah's eyes when she thought back about the unspeakable moment in her life. 'When I did what I did, I made a lift of thirteen reasons why I want to kill myself and who played a major role in wanting to make that decision'

Looking at the confused faces of Clay and Jessica they didn't have the slightest clue what we were on about since no suicide note was left behind, sure they had been besides Hannah's side once she was released from the hospital but she hasn't been truly honest with them about the tapes

Hannah leaned forward and removed the lid from the shoebox, putting the map to one side on the coffee table and peeled back the bubble wrap, unveiling the seven cassette tape box that were placed in the middle

'I made seven tapes in total and they were going to be passed down in order so each of my reasons why knew what they did to me. This box of tapes is never a blame game, it's more of an understanding of what I was feeling at the time and my real truth being shared and not some false rumour you must have heard of me'

'Oh Hannah' Clay whimpered, his face falling by the second over the new information

'I may not be able to explain it best why I wanted to end my life but the tapes will' Hannah informed them

'We don't want you guys to listen to them on your own so we'll listen to them all together' I interjected, pushing the open button on the boom box to release the deck

'Have you heard them yet already Mason' Jessica questioned

'Yes, twice already' I nodded robotically. 'Trust me you don't want to hear them alone'

'Oh god this can't be good' Clay breathed hastily

'We can stop at any time Helmet' she assured them

Hannah opened up the first cassette box and pulled out the tape inside, she showed them the pained blue marking before placing the tape into the device; closing the deck and pressed the play button above. A few seconds of silent audio passed by before a broken and dejected soul's voice came through the speakers

_'Hey, it's Hannah. Hannah Baker' the voice informed its listener. ''Don't adjust your, whatever device your listening to this on. It's me, live and in stereo. No return adjustments, no encore and this time absolutely no requests. Settle in, grab a snack, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to this tape, you're one of the reasons why._

Jessica and Clay went pale over the opening of the tape and couldn't believe what they were hearing out aloud, they seemed they wanted to continue on with the tapes but I doubt if they would want too when it came to theirs….

Coming to the end of tape five side A, Hannah pulled out the tape from the boom box and placed it back in its rightful place. When I looked over at Jessica it was hard to tell what she was feeling, she finally got her truth and knowledge what had really happened at the night of the party.

Jessica ran her hands over her face and rubbed her eyes frustratedly hoping to wish she never learned what she had or even come over in the first place. Her life as she knew it was crashing down in front of her and it looked like it broke her heart and soul

'I was raped' she spoke ever so quietly to herself

'I'm so sorry Jess' Hannah replied sympathetically

'You were there Hannah and you watched me get raped by him'

'I was scared Jess' she cried. 'I couldn't move my feet in that closet and I was scared if I made a sound, he would find me hiding in there and rape me too'

'You could have save me but you didn't Hannah, you let me get raped' she stated

'That is one of my biggest rejects of my whole damn life Jessica and sorry will never cut it' Hannah whimpered remorsefully. 'If I could turn back time and change it I would have tried to stop it'

'You know what Hannah' Jessica proclaimed whilst getting up from the couch. 'You're a bitch'

'All I can say to you is that I'm sorry' Hannah sniffled through the tears

'Here's me thinking I had another chance to make things right with my first best friend in this town and you go and stab me in the back like that, you watched him raped my unconious body on my bed and you keep this a whole damn secret from me'

'I tried talking to you the following day in the cafeteria Jess but you didn't want to know what I had to say and pushed me away again so you could be alone with your boyfriend'

'Well you should have tried harder Hannah, whatever friendship we had rekindled again I'm fucking done with you' Jessica stated. 'I don't want to ever see your lying and untruthful face near me ever again'

Jessica grabbed her things off from the couch and made her way out of the living room passing all three of us in a hurry, quickly leaving in a rush down the footpath of the drive I chased behind her and stopped Jessica at the gate, grabbing a hold of her arm from behind and turned her around

'Jess hold up'

'Leave it Mason there's nothing to be said anymore' she cried, holding back the tears in her eyes

'I know you're angry and upset at everyone and I'm not going to make you forgive my sister or anything….'

'She did nothing whilst I was getting raped' Jessica stated again

'Just look at it from her shoes and ask yourself would you have done the same thing as her or something different'

'I just don't care anymore Mason what you or her has to say about it' she exclaimed, fresh tears pricking her eyes. 'I don't want anything to do with Hannah ever again; I don't want to see her, hear her or even know how she's doing. She dead to me now Mason'

'What about the rest of the tapes, you need to hear them' I exclaimed

'Fuck the tapes'

Jessica pulled her arm back by her side and walked off home, there was no point in chasing her now as she probably wanted to be left alone at the minute; I'll check up on her in a couple of hours and try to get her to listen to the rest of the tapes.

Sighing heavily and running a hand through my hair frustratedly I turned on my heels, making my way back up to the house to see how Clay and Hannah were doing after this little bust up. I could hear muffled voices coming out of the living room when I pushed open the door slightly, peering through the small gap I saw Clay had his hands cupped around Hannah's face

'This doesn't change anything Hannah, it doesn't change the way I feel about you'

'I need to hear you say it Helmet' she pleaded

'I love you Hannah, I love you'

Hannah nodded her head and took in Clay's words as she needed to hear them desperately, Clay hesitated for a second before leaning in closer and connected their lips together softly. Pulling away a couple of seconds later Clay wiped away a couple of tears that lingered on Hannah's face

'I love you too' Hannah smiled weakly

Hannah stepped closer to Clay and wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried the side of her face against his chest, Clay held her protectively and dipped his head in the crook of her neck. Pulling the door closed I walked down the path and away from the house, this was the last thing I needed to know; that they had gotten together already without telling me when I'd asked before in the past…..


	10. Chapter 10

A day couples of days had passed since the revelations of the tapes to Clay and Jessica, thankfully the emergency call operator hadn't sent a patrol car to the house and I didn't have to explain away to Uncle Andy and Aunt Liv why the officer was here in the first place; that would have been another problem to take care of on my ever growing list.

Today was Hannah's first day back at Liberty High School and I was just as nervous as she was, I wouldn't blame her if she told my aunt and uncle that she doesn't feel well enough to go back just yet. All eyes from every direction would be on her wherever Hannah went today in the school, followed by snide remarks that I knew would trail right behind to knock her down again

Uncle Andy and Aunt Liv had already left the house for the day to head down to the store and I was sat waiting for Hannah to appear out of her bedroom, Hannah wondered into the living room and she was too glued to her phone to notice me, she typed out another text message and waited for a reply back to come

'Who are you texting Hannah' I asked

Finally gaining my little sister's attention up off her phone, she collected her bag off the living room floor and slung it over her shoulders as I got up from the sofa and went by her side

'Helmet' she informed me

'Any reply' I enquired

'Nothing' Hannah sighed deeply

'Come on or we're gonna be late for your first day back'

Hannah nodded her head and we walked out of the house to the front porch, I locked the front door behind us and moved down the steps, Hannah was stood still on the top step of the porch as I turned back around to her, her gaze had drifted off into the distance as she must have seen familiar faces of her peers going past the house to get to Liberty

'Come on Hannah' I encouraged. 'I'll be by your side the whole day'

Hannah hesitantly came along by my side and linked her arm through mine for reassurance; I rubbed the top of her arm for comfort as we passed blocks on our way to Liberty High School, taking out time to get there as we weren't in a rush to do so

'No Clay today' I proclaimed. 'I thought he'd want to walk you personally to school'

'I thought so as well Mason but I guess the tapes done a number on him'

'How did he take listening to his tape?'

'Not good. Clay was shocked and angry at first, couldn't think of what and why he would be on the tapes in the first place' she informed me. 'Thinking I blamed him for wanting to end my life but he understood why I kept a tape for him when we finished his'

'Have you heard anything more from him?'

'Ever since that day at the house when we listened to the tapes, Helmet has gone all quiet on me' Hannah sighed deeply. 'He won't answer my calls or texts and every time I go over to his, Helmet is never home apparently according to his mom'

'Just give the boy some space Hannah' I assured her. 'He'll come around eventually'

'I don't think Helmet loves me anymore….' Hannah exclaimed

Hannah caught onto her slip of the tongue as she nor Clay had come forward to tell me that they had started dating, I tried to keep my face as normal looking as possible like I hadn't heard her properly and turned to face her

'What I mean is….as a friend anymore' she stammered together. 'I think he looks at me differently now because of the tapes. I think I'm too broken for him'

Stopping us both suddenly in our tracks I peeled Hannah's arm away from mine, I cupped both of her cheeks softly and tilted her face up towards me so I had her full attention

'Look at me Hannah, you're one of the strongest women I know and have the privilege of knowing. You went through complete hell here at Liberty and yet, you're still alive and showing everyone who will see you today how strong you really are' I admitted tearfully. 'You may see me as your big and slightly older brother but I wish I had your courage and strength, you are a hell of a lot stronger as a person than you may realise'

Hannah took in every word I had said which I truly meant about my little sister, she collapsed into my chest as I wrapped my arms around her tightly; taking a few minutes to compose ourselves before we carried on with our journey to Liberty High School…..

We had arrived at the school grounds fifteen minutes later and it was no surprise all eyes would be on us both, students stopped their conversations and stared at Hannah in disbelief that she actually had come back at all to Liberty

'Everything will be ok today Hannah' I whispered softly

Amongst the sea of people that were gathering around us to see if Hannah was actually alive we both noticed Clay in the distance. He looked tired and exhausted as bags had formed under his eyes; he adjusted the hood on his hoodie and made eye contact with us for a brief second before turning his gaze down to the ground and made his way inside the building

'Helmet' Hannah sighed deeply

I could feel Hannah strongly trying to peel away from my arm and give chase after Clay, the last thing they both needed was for the whole school to see whatever confrontation might happen when they spoke next

Leading us through the gates of the school I found the rest of the jock crew and some of the cheerleaders waiting out front for the school day to begin. Hannah clenched her arm tightly around mine when a certain person at the table turned around and came into view

Bryce Walker was laughing and joking with a few members of the baseball team, he was casually play fighting with his so called brother Justin Foley. The whole team hadn't noticed my arrival yet but Jessica was the first one to spot us, she rose up her hand and waved before bringing it back down immediately when she saw who was at my side

Jessica and Hannah locked gazes with each other for a millisecond before turning their attention to anywhere but to the other, it was still clear that they still miss each other but words had been said and actions had been done; I don't think one of them had the courage to make the first move to try and amend their friendship

A familiar male voice had called out from behind us when we turned back around to look at the crowd of people that had gathered near the front gates, a Latino boy had finally reached us and came to a stop by Hannah's side

'Hi Hannah, Mason' Tony greeted

'Hey Tony' we both replied in unison

'You're a bit eager to come back wouldn't you say Hannah'

'Well I couldn't hide away forever in my house' she stated

'No Clay yet' he asked, looking amongst the crowd for him. 'He said he would meet me out front, said he wanted some advice'

'He's already here Tony' she informed him glumly

'Oh' he sighed. 'Mind if I walk you to class Hannah'

'I said I would stay by Hannah's side today Tony' I interjected

'It's ok Mason' Hannah proclaimed. 'It would be nice to catch up with Tony anyway and I'll be ok on my own'

I nodded my head as Hannah peeled away from the side of my body, Tony shifted his left arm out and Hannah hooked her arm around his, I bided them goodbye as they continued to catch up with one another. Walking over to the other jocks that where gathered near some benches I stopped besides Jessica who kept her gaze down from me

'You aint going to say hey to Hannah then, Jess'

'What's the point, we aint talking anymore' she exclaimed regretfully, looking up from the wooden top of the bench. 'Don't you remember?'

'Yeah I remember'

I joined the rest of my fellow teammates and tried to catch on what they were on about, looking over into the distance I watched as Tony and Hannah made their way into the building, drawing my attention back to Jessica I noticed her gaze was fixated on Hannah as she disappear from view, guess she maybe does still care about her after all…

Later in the day I finally managed to find Clay out in the hallway and pulled him to one side so I could speak to him alone, he pulled his hood down and turned his face up to me. Clay looked more tired and exhausted than I first thought, Hannah's tape had really done him hard; I dread to think how he would be if Hannah had succeeded in her attempt

'What did you want to talk to me about Mason?' he asked

'I need your help Clay with something'

'Ok what is it?'

'I need your help setting up a chance for Hannah and Jessica to talk to each other' informed him

'That's never going to happen Mason' Clay exclaimed. 'You heard what Jessica said to her, she wants nothing to do with Hannah'

'Look I know what Jessica said the other day but I do know they are both too damn suborn to make the first move to reconcile with each other'

'And how do you know all this? He asked, raisin a brow

'I really don't Clay. The way they just look at each other from afar, I just got a feeling they want to go talk to each other but after what was said a couple of days ago there's no going back after that before the air is cleared'

'Alright I'll help you get them together somewhere to talk but where are we gonna do it'

'Monet's' I replied. 'That seems the easiest place for you to bring Hannah down there and for me to lure Jessica there without causing any suspension'

'Do you think it will work tho'?

'Getting them there isn't going to be the issue here Clay. It's getting them to sit down together long enough and talk it out at least'

Clay nodded his head whilst I told him the formalities of my plan and when we would do it, first thing on my plan would be to get Jessica to listen to the rest of the tapes so she knew everything before she sat down in front of Hannah again. Whilst discussing my plan to him, Hannah and Tony came along down the corridor and waved at us, returning the gesture back Clay turned his head from them and kept it down in shame

'What's going on between you and Hannah then?' I stated

'Nothing' he grumbled

'Don't tell me nothing when I know….'

'Know what exactly' Clay accused

'That you and my little sister are dating each other' I admitted

'That's not true Mason' he deflected quickly, trying to think up some excuse on the spot. 'I mean who even told you that anyway'

'No one had too Clay, I saw with my very own eyes what's been happening between you two' I proclaimed. 'I was just too blind to see it at first what was going on underneath my very nose'

Clay stepped back a foot from me and held up his hands in front of his chest, thinking that I would hit or something. 'Look Mason I wanted to come clean to you about us but Hannah wanted to keep our relationship a secret for a couple of weeks before we would tell you'

'I'm not mad at you or Hannah for being in a relationship with each other, I'm feeling the exact opposite what you'd think I would feel' I admitted. 'I'm happy for you guys truly I am but I'm just disappointed in you guys felt you couldn't just tell me'

'Hannah and I were both scared how you'd react to us especially after how soon Hannah was released from the hospital and everything'

'I'm sorry if I made you both feel like you couldn't be honest with me but I want you both to know now, you can tell me anything and I won't get mad' I exclaimed. 'Hannah's my little sister and I love her to bits and you Clay, you're alright in my books'

'Alright?' Clay repeated, bobbing his head. 'I'll take that'

'But seriously Clay what is going on between you and Hannah? She was kinda hoping you would show up today and walk with her to school'

'I just needed some space to myself to clear my head of the tapes for good but every time I see Hannah I just start to think about them again and I hear her voice inside my head'

'I know how you feel Clay because that had happened to me too as well but you do you know what I did to make them stop'

'No what Mason?'

'I started to think about the happiest moments of my life with Hannah and I would replay those memories instead of the voices I would hear inside my head, those tapes I would hear have started to subside now' I informed him. 'Maybe you should give it a go, I'm sure you must have plenty before you got together'

Clay nodded his head as a tear rolled down his cheek and he quickly wiped it away, guess my little talk had gotten through to him. A few seconds later Clay's phone vibrated in his jean pocket and he pulled it out, he opened up his text message and read his new notification. Judging by the love heart emoji by the contact's name it was from Hannah, Clay quickly put his phone back into his pocket

'You not going to reply back to Hannah'

'She's just asking how I am that's all' Clay proclaimed

'Hannah told me this morning that she thinks you don't love her anymore' I informed him. 'You not replying back is only going to fuel that fire and make her believe that it's true and that you're gonna break up with her'

'I'm not going to break up with her Mason and I still love her very much, I'll always love Hannah' he admitted. 'You can tell her that when you see her next'

'Maybe you should tell Hannah instead, after all you are her boyfriend'

'How can I? After I've been ignoring her for last couple of days when I haven't replied back to her texts or calls, I'm the worst boyfriend ever'

'No you're not Clay there are even worst boyfriends out there than you. Just text her back and tell her you want to meet up in Monet's tomorrow and you can reconcile with Hannah properly there'

Clay fished out his phone again from his pocket and replied back to Hannah of our plan, it didn't take Hannah long to reply back to Clay's text of meeting up with him tomorrow in the coffee shop. I could already picture the grin on Hannah's face that Clay has gotten back in touch with her after what must have felt like years to her…

The following day and getting reassurance from Jessica that it would be ok to come around to her house and hang out with her for a while, I arrived a few minutes early than I said I would and the front door opened immediately when I stepped on the porch, meeting Jessica as she pressed her index finger to her lips

'Hey Jess'

'Hey Mason, just keep quiet' she whispered

'Ok why' I replied quietly

'Don't let my little bothers catch you sneaking into the house or they'll rat me out to my parents I had some boy over'

I nodded my head and we both quietly entered the house into the foyer of the building, the sliding doors to the living room were shut and I could hear the tv on in the other side of room. Jessica and I tip toped our way up the staircase and entered her bedroom, she slid the chain over her lock on the door so no one would barge in

Looking around her bedroom it looked like any normal typical teenage girl's bedroom would do with posters on the wall and a makeup kit on top of her dresser, she showed me to take a seat at her desk chair as Jessica sat down on the bed.

I could hear Hannah's voice of tape five side B and the vision of him in this room distorted, it all became dark in here with rain thundering down the windows and I saw unconscious Jessica lying on top of her bed. Bryce Walker hovered above her with his jeans undone and his boxers removed, putting himself on top of her and slowly thrusting himself into Jessica

'Mason' Jessica called out, snapping me out of my hallucination and back to normal reality

'Sorry Jessica I was miles away'

'You were think about what Bryce had done to me on this bed weren't you'

'How did you know?' I asked

'When I got back home from listening to the tapes that's what I did as well when I stepped into my bedroom' she informed me. 'I only snapped out of it when my mom came to check up on me and wondered why I was staring at my bed'

'I'm so sorry that your room it a painful reminder of what happened that night in here' I replied, trying to clear my thoughts from it

'Don't be Mason my bedroom is getting redecorated soon, I won't have to be reminded every time I step in here of that night anymore soon'

'How are you holding up anyway Jess' I asked. 'We haven't really talked much since that day with the tapes'

'I've been doing ok on my own but I'm sorry for not really reaching out and talking to you at Liberty, I've been trying to digest what I know from the tapes and move forward with my life'

'Well we all have been trying to cope with what we know any way how' I stated, letting out a breath. 'I guess it doesn't help knowing you have a tape when you're trying to let go'

'I can understand why I would have a tape to begin with, how I treated Hannah when I thought she slept with my boyfriend Alex Standall behind my back when we were supposed to be good friends' Jessica proclaimed. 'It's just Justin's second tape that I can't seem to just let go'

'You don't have to let that go if you don't want to Jess' I assured her. 'Bryce raped you and I would stand by your side if you wanted to go to the police'

'There's no point in going to the police, I was passed out drunk when it happened and it would be his word against mine'

'Hannah was a witness that night and she would back you up also if you wanted to press charges'

'I doubt she would do that for me now, we are hardly on speaking terms at the minute' she admitted tearfully

'Well you never know if you don't ask her Jess' I concluded, knowing Hannah would definitely help if she was asked. 'Have you ever thought about the rest of the tapes?'

'They kinda have slipped my mind. I've been too busy thinking about Justin's second reason why and what I would say to him' Jessica exclaimed. 'I do want to finish the rest of the tapes and know what pushed Hannah to do what she did'

'Well why don't you finish them now'

Jessica raised a brow suspiciously as I reached deep into my jean pocket, pulling out my own Walkman my mother had given to me. The next tape was already set up in the deck and I had also pulled out the final tape and dropped it next to Jessica

'It's up to you Jess if you want to listen to them I'm not gonna force you if you don't want too'

'It's only fair to Hannah if I listen to all of the tapes and not just stop more than half way through'

Jessica reached for her own earphones that were on top of her side table; she put an earbud in into each ear and plugged the cord into the device. Moments later pressing play on the Walkman and waiting for the next tape to begin, she flashed me a weak smile as I knew the audio had just kicked in and Clay's tape was playing now…..

After stop starting between sides twelve and thirteen Jessica façade in front of me of being strong enough to cope through them had cracked, tears were streaming down her cheeks as she finally learnt the truth of Hannah's ordeal. Jessica wiped the fresh tears away from her cheeks and pulled the earbuds out of her

'Hannah was raped as well' she stated breathlessly

'I guess that was what had finally broken her and made her choose to end her life'

'I was there that night of Bryce's party, I could have done something to stop it even'

'You weren't to know how that night would have played out Jess. Hindsight is a cold hearted bitch'

'I could have done more to stop it. Even if we weren't talking then I shouldn't have just left her alone in that hot tube'

'You're feeling exactly what Hannah is feeling right now, survivor's guilt' I explained. 'You both think you could and should have saved each other but your survival instinct took over and you did everything you could to keep yourself safe. No one is blaming either of you for what you did or didn't do, most people would have the exactly the same things in you've done'

'But I can't help but still feel guilty Mason over it, a lot of people that night could have stopped Bryce from raping Hannah'

'Then go talk to Hannah and get what you need too off your chest because I bet she feels that exact same way right now as you and wants to say her peace'

'I don't even know where to even begin looking for her Mason'

'Let's get a drink first at Monet's I need a hot chocolate' I stated. 'And then we'll go look for her, she can't have gone far'

Jessica sat down in her make-up chair and touched up her face so that she didn't look like she was in a right state when we stepped out into the street. I managed to sneak back out of her house going undetected from her little brothers or her parents that arrived back so suddenly, I waited a couple of houses down the street for Jessica out of view from her house and she finally met up with me, walking into the town to a get a little pick me up from Monet's before we would 'accidently' bump into Hannah there…..

Entering the coffee chain establishment after our short walk into the town, we spotted Clay and Hannah in the foyer as they must have just entered the shop as well, an awkward silence fell between the four of us as the two girls eyed Clay and I suspiciously. I led our small entourage over to the back of the store to an empty table; Clay dropped his hoodie over a vacant chair as we sat down around the table

'I'll get the drinks in' Clay stated

After we told Clay what beverages we wanted he left immediately to place our order at the counter, turning in my seat I got dirty looks from Hannah and Jessica, they had both folded their arms over the other in sync and leant back in their chairs

'You didn't have to set us both up like this Mason' Hannah exclaimed, sighing heavily before looking at Jessica in the eyes

'You can blame me all you want Hannah but Clay helped me set this up as well'

'I was going to talk to Hannah on my own anyway Mason, you and Clay didn't need to get involved what's happening between us' Jessica stated

'I know setting you guys up was the wrong thing to do but someone had to make the first move and get both of you guys to at least meet somewhere to talk' I informed them. 'If Clay and I didn't intervene, can you honestly say to me right now you'd have at tried to talk to each other?'

Jessica and Hannah bowed their heads in shame because they knew I was speaking the truth, it's one thing saying you're gonna do something than actually going through with it. They both placed theirs hands onto the table and then over one another's, calling out their usual saying if they wanted to get something off their chest in Monet's

'I'm so sorry for what happened that night at your party Jess, I'm sorry again that I didn't do anything more to stop it'

'It's ok Hannah. I don't blame you for anything that you did or didn't do that night because if I were in your shoes I think I would have frozen as well' Jess smiled weakly. 'I'm sorry for all the things I called you the other day when we went over the tapes, I was completely out of line and if it's ok with you I'd like to start a fresh and forget the past couple of days'

'I would like that a lot Jess and I promise to be a better friend to you and treat you like the best friend that I say that you are to me'

'Same here Hannah'

Tears streamed down their faces as they got up out of their chairs, they both stood in front of each other and were hesitant to make the first move to one another. Hannah stepped forward and enveloped her arms around Jessica's body and held her close, something inside Jessica broke as tears leaked from her eyes again as she wrapped her arms around Hannah; they were both crying and holding each other tightly

Clay finally came back to the table with two mugs in each of his fingers; he carefully placed down the mugs without spilling a drop and watched what was unfolding in front of us. His smile grew that the two friends had come back together

'I take it your plan worked then' he stated

I nodded my head as Jessica and Hannah finally let go of one another and resumed their places back in the chairs, we each grabbed a mug and let the hot beverage warm our hands as a less awkward atmosphere that were here was gone now. Jessica looked up from her mug and licked her lips before getting the courage to tell Hannah something important

'I finished off the rest of the tapes Hannah' she informed them. 'I'm so sorry that you got raped too'

'How did you get a hold of the tapes?'

'Mason encouraged that I listen to the rest of them and I wanted to come find you after I was done with them' she stated. 'I can't apologise enough for making the tapes about me when I didn't know the full story'

'It's ok Jess that's all in the past now and you don't need to keep apologising for that. I'm just glad that you know now everything'

'What you are gonna do about the tapes Hannah? Are you going to report your rape to the police?'

'I don't know what I want to do yet with the tapes or the police, I just need some time to clear my head and think what's best for me going forward' Hannah informed us. 'What are you going to do Jess?'

'I don't think there's enough evidence to go forward and press charges against him, there's hardly any real dna or evidence that could be used in a court'

'I would back you up Jess if you wanted me too and I'd testify against Bryce if it meant he would get sent down'

'Thanks Hannah and I would do the same for you but I don't think he would go to prison, he would just get off easy from the judge'

We continued talking amongst the four of us what are options were and what we could do if either Jessica or Hannah had a change of heart and wanted to press formal charges against Bryce Walker. I couldn't imagine how difficult if must have be for the both of them to see his face everywhere they might go around Liberty High School and get reminded what he did to them…..

Clay and Hannah had ordered another round of hot chocolates and were talking amongst themselves as Jessica and I waited at the counter for our baked goodies to be boxed up. I told Jessica not to go back them and give them space as Clay was reconciling with Hannah now, last thing Clay would need is an audience watching him try and reconfirm his love for Hannah

'Why is Clay reconciling with Hannah again? I thought they were more than ok together' Jessica stated. 'What happened between them anyway?'

'Since the tapes Hannah thinks Clay doesn't love her anymore because he's been a bit distant from her'

'That's ridiculous Mason. I've never seen two people who were more made for each other not be together' she proclaimed. 'They'll find their way back to each other'

'I told Clay to just be honest with Hannah and tell her what he told me in school, she'll understand his reasons why'

'Look Mason quickly' Jessica shouted excitedly

Turning to the direction Jessica was point at in the distance over my shoulder, Clay and Hannah got up from their chairs and hugged each other tightly. Theirs arms wrapping around one another as Hannah placed the side of her cheek against his chest, Clay cupped Hannah's cheek softly and pulled her head away from him, he dipped his head down and slowly pressed his lips against hers.

'Looks like everything worked out well in the end' I stated obviously

Clay and Hannah deepened their kiss and were kissing more passionately now, like if they didn't show the other how they felt then it mustn't have been real getting back to how they were. Hannah clutched onto Clay tightly so he wouldn't leave her again and he wasn't planning onto anyway, he kissed the top of her hair and held the love of his life comfortingly

I grabbed the baked goods off the top of the counter and Jessica and I made our way to the door, we turned back briefly to Clay and Hannah to see if they had noticed us yet, they had sat back down in their chairs and held each other's hand and were talking amongst themselves. Jessica had dropped Hannah a text as we opened up our baked goods and made our way back to Jessica's…


	11. Chapter 11

The next day at Liberty High School the stares and whispers about Hannah had started to subside in the hallways but it could still be heard in people's conversations every now and again, I guess everyone still wanted her to be the centre of everyone's attention around here.

Walking into my homeroom that I shared with Hannah, Clay and Jessica I was stopped by my teacher Mrs Lynn, she pulled me to one side of the room so she could tell me something in private as the others took their seats. Mrs Lynn gave me a hall pass and a sticky note message up off her desk

'What are these for Mrs?' I questioned, taking the pieces of paper from her

'Don't know didn't ask Mason' she informed me. 'Coach Patrick wanted me to give you these when I first saw you today'

'Ok thanks' I smiled

Peeling open the sticky note it was a short message for me to skip homeroom this morning and make my way to the coaches office for a urgent chat, I informed Mrs Lynn that I had to leave right away and go find Coach Patrick to have a chat with him.

I looked over at the small group of my friends and they were just as curious what the note had said, after I was done with Coach Patrick I would tell them everything he had said to me and answer anything they might ask at lunch. Leaving my homeroom I made my way to the other side of the school building to the coaches' office

After a few minutes I was stood outside the office door and knocked gently a couple of times on it before entering, Coach Patrick was sat at his desk and was working on some files on his computer. He closed down a few internet tabs and documents before swivelling in his chair towards me at the door, he ushered me into the room with his hand and told me to take a seat in front of his desk

'You wanted to see me Coach?' I questioned, placing the sticky note down on the desk as a reminder for him

'Oh yes Mason' he exclaimed excitedly, rubbing both of his hands together. 'I've got some very excited news for you'

'Ok, what is it'

'I've finally been able to find you an opponent for your first up and coming boxing match in a few weeks, his name is Mateo Jaxon'

Coach Patrick handed me a file off his desk and I peered inside to look at the information he must have gather of Mateo. Pulling out a couple of photos that were inside I saw my opponent in action and he looked like the real deal, there was a couple of TKO knockout photos and I knew I might have met my match here

'The kids goes Hillcrest High School and his exactly the same age as you, so you don't have to worry about fighting someone that's older than you and may have a lot more experience on the upper hand' he stated

'Isn't Hillcrest one of the school's main rivals?'

'More of the reasons to choose a kid for there to be your first fight' he stated happily. 'The whole school will get behind you when it's time to make your debut'

'Didn't the football team start a fight with the Hillcrest boys last year? I just don't think it's wise to choose my opponent from there solely to flame up the rivalry even more' I remarked

'It's a more of a competitive spirit getting out of hand between them Mason. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, a healthy rivalry hasn't hurt nobody'

'I'm gonna trust you on this one Coach even if I don't totally agree with you'

'I only look out for what's best for your future Mason, I know you're gonna reach the top one day'

Sighing heavily I reopened the file and studied my opponent again, looking at the full in depth report of his strengths and weakness that Coach Patrick had gathered from his previous fights. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I read Mateo weight class on the piece of paper, he was down under as a light heavyweight whilst I fought at a super welterweight level

'Think you've made a mistake Coach?' I proclaimed, scratching the top of my head

'What's that then Mason'

'I fight at a super welterweight level and Mateo is too heavy of a fighter for me to go up against, I'm massively already an underdog on paper'

'If you want to reach the top Mason then you needs to gain a few extra pounds, heavyweight fighters is where the money is at. Nobody gives a shit if you don't fight at that level unless you've made a name for yourself'

'I'm happy fighting at the level I already am Coach, I don't want to be going up through the weight classes'

'Just trust me on this kid I know what's best for you right now, there's no decent super welterweight fighter in the surrounding towns but there are plenty of heavyweights to light heavyweights' he explained. 'So we need to boost you up and I've gotten you some help'

'Help?' I questioned, raising a brow

A knock sounded on the closed door and Coach Patrick called for the person to enter the room, I didn't turn in my seat as I heard the loud footsteps came closer and the person slumped down in the empty chair next to me. Casting my gaze aside I was shocked and curious as to what Bryce Walker was doing here before turning my attention back to Coach Patrick

'Meet your new sparring partner' Coach Patrick declared

My eyes popped out of their sockets and I felt my jaw dropped down to the ground in amazement, I couldn't believe I was told to start my training with a rapist, there was no way in hell that I ever let that happen knowing what he had done to my sister and Jessica.

'You what?' I exclaimed furiously, throwing the file down on the deck

'Its great aint it Mason' he informed me. 'Bryce heard my predicament and kindly offered to step in and be your sparring partner as you train up for the fight with Mateo'

'I don't want Bryce anywhere near me in training'

'Don't be like that Mason, we are brothers after all' Bryce smirked, placing his hand on top of my shoulder

'You've been indicated into their brotherhood after all Mason and brothers help each other if they can in anyway so' Coach Patrick reminded

'Yeah but….'

'No buts Mason' Coach Patrick demanded. 'My decision is final and Bryce is you're new partner so get used to it, I wanna see you both hit the gym together and get along because you got a few tough weeks ahead of you both'

'Isn't there anyone else that I could use in training?' I exclaimed hopelessly. 'I just don't feel comfortable around him'

'You haven't given me a reason why you feel this way Mason. Give me a reason now why you want someone else and I might reconsider'

I knew I couldn't trust Coach Patrick with the truth with what I know about Bryce Walker, he would try save Bryce and the rest of the team from any bad press if I started broadcasting it around the school what the jocks really get up too

'Just because…..' I stammered

'That's not a good enough reason to get some else to replace Bryce at such short notice, he'll come good in your training and you'll thank him one day' Coach Patrick declared. 'The reason why I chose him instead of everyone else is because he's the same build as Mateo and probably fights the same way too'

'Don't worry Mason I'll go easy on you in the ring if you're worried about being knocked out' Bryce teased

'Not too easy on him Bryce, my boy here has got a fight to win' he smiled. 'That's all I wanted to call you both in for, run along now to your first class of the day and I'll see you both for gym class fourth period'

Coach Patrick opened his tabs up again on his laptop and got up his betting websites, Bryce and I left the coach's office and went along down the hallway to get to our first classes of the day early since the bell had just went for the start of the school day.

'I'll see down the gym tonight Mason, six o'clock sharp'

'Yeah alright Bryce' I muttered

'Don't sound too enthused we got a gathering tonight as well at the clubhouse and like I said I'll go nice and easy on you'

'Please do' I sighed deeply whilst rolling my eyes

'Like I did on your cousin' he muttered under his breath

Hearing those sick remarks about what he did to Hannah I didn't reply anything back to Bryce, so he knew what I know what's he has done to a couple of girls at this school. I would be sure to give a few unsuspecting hits in our sparring session this evening for Hannah and Jessica…..

The rest of the morning went without any trouble or any more encounters with Bryce Walker or Coach Patrick. Lunch period had finally came around and I was sat with Jessica, Hannah and Clay on a quiet table, the rest of the jocks were sat on a table not so far away from us and I could pick up bits of their conversation every now and again

'What a loser man, why doesn't he just sit with us?' Oscar proclaimed

'Let the loner sit with his suicidal cousin. He aint one of us to begin with' Scott snorted

'Knock him out Bryce in your sparring session, show him who is boss around here' Justin piped up

'Don't you worry' Bryce exclaimed. 'I'll make Coach Patrick regret ever putting Mason on our team to begin with'

'Just leave him alone Bryce' Vincent huffed. 'Does it matter who he sits with at lunch, Hannah has been through a lot'

'What does it matter to you what Hannah went through, we have an imagine to maintain here' he scolded. 'We can't be seen to be socialising with every fucking weirdos here, we will always be better and above everyone here in Liberty so don't let your guard down and be soft on him. If Mason wants to be an outsider then let him for all I care'

'Fuck that loser we look out for each other now' Monty proclaimed. 'He's no brother of ours'

'Just let him believe that he is in the baseball team and we'll fuck him over when the season is done and dusted' Bryce sniggered

It was hard to concentrate what the conversation was on our table when I couldn't stop ease dropping what was spoken between the jocks about me, truth be told I wish I never met Coach Patrick when I did and never got initiated into baseball team on his request. If I stopped going to practises or the clubhouse with them they would know I had heard everything and wanted out, knowing they would go to any length to make sure that I was silenced for good

'Hey Mason' Clay sighed heavily. 'You still with us'

'Yeah I'm still listening buddy'

'We should hang out again just the four of us' Hannah suggested. 'No tapes from me I promise'

'Only mixtapes will do. Maybe Tony can make us one if we ask him' Jessica proclaimed

'I can make mixtapes if you guys want one'

'You know how to make mixtapes' Jessica exclaimed, surprised by one of my few hidden hobbies

'I've been making them for years ever since my mom taught me how to when I was a little kid'

Clay, Hannah and Jessica all talked about what songs we could put together on a cassette tape, writing down possible candidates on a piece of paper from Hannah's notebook. Clay and Hannah had finished off their chocolate milk carton, he gaze darted back to the canteen line and Clay was eyeing up more chocolate flavoured milk

'I'm going to get some more, does anyone want anything' he declared

Jessica and I shook our head as we were fine with our drink already that we got at the start of lunch, Clay turned in his seat towards Hannah. 'I'll have another one Helmet'

'Be right back sweetheart' Clay stated happily

Clay and Hannah didn't look around at who might be watching them or not, they were living care free and for every moment together no matter how big or small it may be. Clay pressed his lips against hers quickly before leaving the table to get more milk

'What a fucking loser' muttered Justin under his breath so only his table heard at Clay as he went past

'Watch what I'm gonna do when Cory comes back' Monty giggled

I had no idea what Monty had planned to do to Clay but it always seemed he had it in for the kid, I so wanted to teach him a lesson but not on school grounds when that could land me in more trouble with my aunt and uncle or even with the baseball team that I was trying to keep the peace with at the minute.

Clay held two cartons of chocolate milk in his hands and was minding his business on the way back to the table, before he could reach our table he had to pass the jocks table first and everything happened in a blur. Monty stuck out his foot at the last second and made sure to trip up Clay as he landed on top of the chocolate milk on the floor, everyone at every table stopped their conversations at the sound of the loud noise of something hitting the floor with a crash

A few of the jocks bust into hysterical laughter and soon rest of the room chipped in to humiliate Clay even more about his fall. A couple of the jocks felt sorry for Clay as he lay in a pile of chocolate milk, Hannah rushed out of her seat and came to her boyfriend's aid

'Are you ok Helmet?'

'Yeah I'm ok Hannah, there's no point crying over spilt milk' he whimpered, swiping some of the milk off his chest

'Open your eyes dipshit, you might see where you're going then' Justin remarked joyfully

'Hope you had a good trip Cory, see you next fall' Monty exclaimed, dropping another carton of milk on the ground and stomped onto it, spraying the liquid all over Clay again as he shielded Hannah from getting hit

'What assholes Mason' Jessica spoke angrily

Jessica was truly pissed off at her boyfriend Justin Foley as she gave him a dirty look as to why he would do that to her friends. I didn't reply back to Jessica and jumped out of my seat quickly and went the short distance to the jocks table, wrapping my fist into balls on Monty's shirt and lifted him out of the seat

'Do you thinks that funny Monty' I exclaimed angrily

'Chill out dude we're only having a laugh with Cory'

'He's name is Clay god damn it' I scolded. 'The only thing I see is you being an asshole to him as always, what's your problem with him?'

'Just chill dude'

'I'll chill Montgomery when you leave Clay alone for good'

'Just drop it Mason we're just having a little laugh with the prune' Justin exclaimed. 'Don't make things worse for yourself, it's not like your well liked on the team anyway'

'How's your dad Justin? Seth?' I questioned

'Stepdad actually'

'See Mason you aint one of us' Monty chuckled. 'Why don't you go back to sucking Coach Patrick…'

I lost my cool at the insults from Monty and clinched my fist tightly before striking him in the face, the whole cafeteria roared into the life after the first hit. I continued to strike him and wanted to turn his face into a pulp, Pablo and Vincent pulled me by the arms and away from Monty, Liam and Aaron stood in front of Monty as a shield so I couldn't get back to him

Turning on the spot I saw Clay had gotten himself off the floor and kept his arms around Hannah in the commotion, Bryce had gotten up from his seat and wrapped his arms around Jessica, unwillingly holding onto her when she was trying to pull away from his clutches

'Get your fucking hands off her Bryce' I growled angrily

Marching over to them I shoved a hand into Bryce's chest and he loosened his grip on Jessica's waist, grabbing her hand I pulled Jessica away from him and stood in front of her protectively

'I aint your enemy Mason but I will fight you if you throw a punch at me first'

'You leave Jessica and Hannah alone all right or we're gonna have a problem you and me'

Bryce just smirked and held up in hands in surrender so the whole cafeteria though he was backing down and I was the sole aggressor in this incident. Grabbing my bag off the floor from underneath my table I left immediately as gossip would soon spread of my outburst…..

Coming out into the hallway I went to my locker to grab my books for the next class after break, shoving the books into the bag I slammed the locker door shut before striking it suddenly, letting out a ragged breath

'Mason' a feminine voice called out behind me

Closing my eyes and letting out another breath so I didn't explode and let out my anger at the girl behind me, turning around I met Jessica who had a concerned look on her face as she wrapped her arms around herself

'Hey Jess'

'Are you alright' she asked sympathetically

'Yeah I'm fine, nothing to worry about'

'What happened back in there? Everything just escalated so quickly'

'I don't know what happened. One minute I was defending Clay and all the shit that he gets from Monty and the next I saw Bryce stood behind you and pressed himself up against you' I explained. 'I just remembered the tapes again and I just lost my shit when I saw him behind you'

'He wasn't getting to do anything to me in there not while everyone was watching what was happening'

'He was enjoying himself being in that position, pressing himself up against your behind and holding you in place' I explained. 'It was just sick and twisted after everything he's done like it was just nothing'

'I know Mason and I will make that sick fucking rapist pay one day for what he's done to every girl at this girl'

'Just promise me you won't ever go anywhere near him alone. I don't want to be kept on reminded of what he did to you or Hannah every time you three are near each other again'

'Trust me these flashbacks I keep on having every time I see him is no fun for me either Mason so you're not the only one'

Holding up my right hand I cracked my knuckles and saw slight bruising had occurred when I punched my locker door, I couldn't feel any pain whatsoever in my hand and it was probably because of the adrenaline rush flowing through my body

'We need to get you some ice for your hand, it looks bad right now' Jessica suggested

'I'll be fine don't worry Jess' I sighed deeply. 'A little swelling didn't kill anybody'

'Not unless if you want to purposely loss you're first fight that is to a bad hand'

'I'll live' I proclaimed, stretching the muscle out in my hand. 'Where are Hannah and Clay right now? They are not still in there with Bryce are they?'

'They are fine Mason, after you left the cafeteria Tony stepped in and made sure nothing else went down. They are sat with Tony outside and enjoying their chocolate milk' she informed me. 'I really think you should get your hand seen too by the nurse at least'

'As long Hannah and Clay are alright that's all I care about right now not my stupid hand'

'I aint going to ask you again Mason Baker now shift your butt to the nurse's office or I'll drag you there myself if needs be'

'I'd love to see you try' I remarked. 'I can walk there just fine on my own Jess'

I know she was just looking out for me and the bruising would become a lot darker if I didn't put any ice on it soon, guess it was the stubborn Baker trait shining on through there. I nodded my head as we left my locker to head to the school nurse's room to get my hand seen too, Jessica pulled out her phone and sent Hannah a text letting her know if they wanted to find us where to look first…

The rest of the school day went without any more trouble from Bryce, Justin or Monty getting into our faces throughout the day. For some unknown reason Bryce had to cancel at the last minute for our sparring boxing session tonight not that I was disappointed, the less time I had to spend with the rapist the better

A last minute text went to all of the baseball players on the team that an informal meeting was being held tonight at the clubhouse, I really couldn't be bothered to go and it was not like I was well favoured on the team anyway but if Justin was definitely going then so would Jessica. Maybe we could hang out without a none eventful night happening at the clubhouse, I decided to go and keep a watchful eye on Jessica and any other girl that might be attending because I couldn't really trust any of the jocks to not do anything if the girls didn't want too…..

Whilst pouring myself a beer in the clubhouse I could feel some members of the baseball team giving me dirty looks every now and again, surprised that I even showed up after my small scuffle with Monty, he made sure to stay the hell away from me as he lingered near a small group of friends

I walked over to an empty spot in the clubhouse and sat down in the chair with the beer in my hand, a couple of the guys left their conversations they were having and came to keep my company. Pablo, Vincent, Liam and Aaron pulled up some chairs and sat close around me

'Hey guys' I greeted them warmly with a weak smile

They all greeted warmly back and I were sure they would be given the same treatment as I was tonight from the rest of the baseball team as outsiders, I could already see the cracks forming in the team even if Bryce or Coach Patrick would try to wallpaper over them and tell everyone else otherwise

'If you still want to keep your place on the team I would suggest you better mingle with the more senior players like Zack or Bryce or Justin' I stated

'Fuck them, they aint got the balls to do anything about it no matter who we talk too' Aaron replied

'I don't want to cause any more trouble for you guys by being associated with me'

'You're part of the team as well Mason' Vincent proclaimed, gently fist bumping the side of my arm. 'I'm glad someone had the guts to finally stand up to Monty, he's a dick to everyone'

'Correct me if I'm wrong I take it that you've all had your fair share of running with Monty in the past then' I sighed deeply

'Is it that obvious?' Pablo exclaimed

'I'd hate to think what he's done to all of you guys because you don't deserve it just like Clay Jensen doesn't'

A loud bump of something hitting the bar behind us sent a couple of cans falling to the ground, Bryce was forcefully kissing his girlfriend Chloe Rice who seemed a little out of it of sorts, he brought the cup in Chloe's hand back up to her face to finish off the rest of her drink. Without giving the girl a chance to breathe Bryce pressed his lips against Chloe's and was guiding her back to one of the rooms quickly.

'Young love eh' Liam remarked as the door slammed shut and locked

'I wouldn't call that love at all' I snorted. 'How long have they been going out?'

'For a couple of months now at least I think'

'Didn't they hooked up last time when there was a team meeting here for my welcome party' I questioned, trying to think back to the last party

'They always hook up here Mason, that's why Bryce put in a bed in one of the rooms here to call his own' Vincent informed me

'He doesn't allow anyone to use his room here no matter how close you are to him' Pablo interjected. 'I got lucky one time here and all the rooms were in use except Bryce's, I asked if I could use his and he told me to do one. He keeps the room under lock and key, god knows what he's hiding in there'

A short while later the party had gotten into more of a swing and Scott Reed had turned into the dj for the night, playing loud dance music and setting off some bright lights in the small enclosed space. Jessica forcefully pulled me by the arm to join her on the makeshift dancefloor, I heard the door open to Bryce's room and he appeared out moments later, adjusting his jeans and grabbing himself another drink from the bar

'I'll be back in a minute Jess' I spoke loudly into her ear so she could hear me over the loud music

'Ok Slick but you own me a dance once you come back'

I nodded my head and peeled away from the crowd that were getting closer together in the small space, Bryce went by Monty's side and collapsed down into the sofa behind them, the large number of people in here were obscuring their view of Bryce's room as I took my chance to see what was kept hidden in there

Closing the door behind me suddenly the room was dark with barely any light coming in from the half covered window, I saw a camera stand in the corner of the room facing towards the bed but no camera attached. Moving forward a couple of steps in the room I stepped on a small foil sachet and noticed the used condom on the floor next to it, moving my gaze up onto the bed I saw a lifeless body on the bed that I knew it was Chloe

Chloe's jeans and panties had been removed from her body and were discarded on the floor, her blouse had been ripped open roughly to expose her breaths and a few buttons were shattered on the bed. Recognising the cup that was in her hand early on during her snog with Bryce on the makeshift nightstand I picked up the cup and sniffed the remnants, a faint odour lingered in the cup and it wasn't hard to guess Chloe's drink had been spiked when I noticed she didn't look so good earlier, seeing the blanket on the end of the bed I placed it over her body to cover her up if anyone stumbled in on the off chance and stared at her half naked body

Feeling sick to my stomach and wanting to hurl up I couldn't believe Bryce Walker could just so easily rape his own girlfriend like if it was nothing to him, I'd hate to think how many times he had raped his girlfriend without Chloe realising it from her unconscious state….


	12. Chapter 12

After my routine early run the next morning before school would start for the day I made my excuses to Hannah and Aunt Liv why I needed to leave home in such a rush, they couldn't understand where I needed to be so early. I promised Hannah especially that I would stay close to her side like Clay and Jessica would after I was done with my little errand, there was one girl in particular that I needed to see first thing

Arriving on the school grounds of Liberty High School I was one of the very few students that was here early than usually be, I made my way to the usual hang out places for the jocks and cheerleaders at the tables outside of the front of the school yard. As time had passed and more familiar faces started to appear at the school and it wouldn't be long before the girl I was waiting for would show up if she did

Ten minutes later a black Land Rover pulled up outside of the school gates, the captain of the cheer squad stepped out of the large vehicle and made her way through the gates. Leaving the jock's table of Pablo, Vincent, Scott and Zack for company I made my way over to the girl

'Hey Chloe' I greeted

'Um hey Mason' she smiled weakly back

'I need to talk to you about somethings from last night'

'Ok what is it?'

'Not here Chloe' I proclaimed, glancing back over to the jock's table as they were watching our exchange. 'Somewhere more private'

'Ok how about the bleachers then by the football field' she suggested

'Lead the way'

I adjusted the bag that was hanging on one of my shoulders and followed Chloe around the school premises, looking back to my friends at the corner of my eye I noticed Monty had joined the table and had pulled his phone out of his pocket, no doubt texting his best friend Bryce Walker that I gone somewhere with his girlfriend….

The football field was quiet and nobody seemed to be around for miles as we took a seat each on the bleachers, keeping a few feet between us if her boyfriend or any of his close friends saw us passing by

'What did you want to talk to me about Mason in private' she asked curiously

'About the party last night at the clubhouse'

'My memory from last night is still a little bit fuzzy, I think I had way too many to drink even though it didn't feel like it'

'What do you remember at all from the party?'

'Not much at all Mason' she concluded. 'May I ask? Why do you want to know what happened if you were there?'

'I can't remember much either and I think I said something to Bryce that I shouldn't have' I lied. 'I thought I'd ask you first since he might have told you something from last night'

'I haven't heard from him all morning Mason, it must have been a good party last night then'

'One of the best' I replied unenthusiastically

'Oh I do remember some things from last night but it's probably useless to you to what you want to know'

'No it probably aint Chloe' I encouraged. 'It might help me actually to remember'

'Bryce was pestering me more than usual last night and kept on forcing a drink in my hand. Don't get me wrong I like a drink but not to the extent as him' she explained. 'One drink after another I was given and I just felt light headed'

'I saw you both make out last night on your way to one of the spare room at the back of the clubhouse, do you remember any of that Chloe'

'I can remember him kissing me but I wasn't putting anything back into the kiss, I was a little drunk to put anything back so I just let him lead us to one of the spare rooms'

'Do you remember what happened then?' I questioned

'The second I hit the bed I completely blackout I think, the rest of the night was just a fuzzy blur Mason' she informed me

'How did you get home last night then Chloe if you were completely out of it?'

'I don't know how I got home but when I woke up about five in the morning and checked under my sheets I was dressing in my nightwear and was tucked up in bed, it must have been Bryce that done that' she informed me. 'I don't want to talk about last night anymore Mason, I just want to forget it happened'

I nodded my head and back off from asking anymore questions to Chloe about last night, the more I pester her the more she is likely to remember that she was raped last night, I wasn't going to put words in her mouth just so Bryce can go down; the girls needed to come forward when they were ready too. Chloe pulled out a cereal bar from her bag and my stomach groaned loudly as I hadn't really had any food this morning

'Here have it Mason' she instructed after hearing my stomach groan in hunger

'You sure Chloe'

'You look like you need it more than I do. Besides I got some spare bars in my locker anyway'

'Thanks I haven't eaten all morning I owe you one Chloe' I replied gratefully

'I'll hold you to that one day Mason'

Chloe gently threw me a cereal bar out of her bag and I thanked her again gratefully, tearing open the wrapping of the bar I unhailed its fresh smell as I bit into the sweet goodness of a mixed fruit Nurti- Grain bar. Chloe pulled out a small water bottle out form her bag and poured me a cup as well….

'There's something that Liam told me last night and it's bothering me as such' I informed her, handing back the cup

'As long it isn't any more questions about last night then ask away' she sighed deeply as she put the bottle back into her bag

'You and Bryce have been going out for a while now haven't you?' I stated

'We've been together for six months maybe seven by now why do you ask'

'And as a couple you guys tell each other everything and all that I'm assuming'

'Where are these series of question going too Mason' she groaned frustratedly. 'Just get to the point already'

'I'm getting there Chloe' I remarked. 'What I wanted to know what's in his room at the clubhouse'

'Just some random bits and bobs that he hides there instead of keeping it at his house'

'A few of the guys told me he keeps the room under lock and key, just seems a bit strange to me when he preaches about we're all brothers and what's mine is his and vice versa'

'I'm sure he would let you use the room if you asked him too' Chloe replied

'A couple have before in the past and were met with a cold reception to the idea, he's definitely hiding something in there for sure'

'I assure you Bryce aint' she protested. 'All he's got in there is a bed, a small wardrobe for a couple of clothes and camcorder tripod'

'I never knew Bryce had an artistic side to him' I proclaimed, remembering seeing the stand last night in the corner of the room facing the bed. 'What does he record?'

'It's just a pile of junk he won't get rid of. I've never seen him record anything at all in the clubhouse and I've been invited there well before I became his girlfriend'

Loud metal clanks of footsteps on the bleachers could be heard behind us and a tall and dark shadow casted over me. Swivelling in my cold seat to face the shadow it wasn't a surprise who it was that came to join us. Chloe got up from her seat beside me and went to her boyfriend's side

'You don't mind if I steal my girlfriend away from you, do you bro? I haven't seen her all morning and I am a bit needy for her' he exclaimed, placing kisses along her neck

'Not at all Bryce we were about done weren't we Chloe'

'Yeah' she interjected, moving her neck away from Bryce's lingering kisses

'I'll see you around Chloe' waving her off as she was being led away by her boyfriend

'Bye Mason'

'Oh brother' Bryce exclaimed, pivoting around to me. 'I'm free tonight if you want that sparring session, help keep you in the good books of Coach Patrick if you show up tonight'

'What's that supposed to mean?' I questioned, raising a brow

'You'll soon see' he winked

Bryce smirked lightly as I noticed the slight twitch on his lips and placed his arm around Chloe's shoulders, they were probably heading back to the front of the school to seat with the rest of the jocks and cheerleaders. I guess I must have been seen by either of Monty or Bryce sneaking into his room last night and wanting to keep my talk to Chloe of what she knew to a minimum….

Instead of loitering around on the bleachers like a loner I decided to make my way early to homeroom so I could see the rest of my close friends before the school day had started. Apon entering the room I was given another note from Mrs Lynn but this time it was signed from a much high above member of staff than Coach Patrick, I had been instructed by the note to see vice principle Childs right away at her office

For the second time in a couple of days I wouldn't get to see Hannah, Clay or Jessica during homeroom and this meeting would only set me off on a bad mood for the rest of the day ahead, let's just hope another fight doesn't break out during the day.

I entered the reception area of the school and was told to take a seat in front of vice principle Childs room, from quick glances into her office she was already dealing with another student with a teacher pleading his case for the student. Trapped in my own thoughts I was snapped out of it when the office door slammed shut and a fuming Monty stepped out

'This is all your fault your prick' she snarled

'What did I do Monty?' I exclaimed furiously as I got up out of the chair to square up to him

'Thanks to you I've been suspended for five days for bullying and once I return to school its two weeks detention and no team selection for baseball for me'

'I'd say you've got off easy there shitbag. Maybe you might actually learning something at home'

'What would that be?'

'How to stop being a dick'

Monty lunged forward and took a hold of my shirt and slammed me up against a wall with an almighty thud, knocking one hand loose of his grip a hold of me I clawed my fingers around his neck tightly, trying to put him in a chock hold and chock Montgomery out if he wanted to escalate things further

'I won't fight you here asshole. Come and meet me outside of school if you want to go'

'Just give me the time and place and I'll be there you scumbag' I proclaimed. 'I'll warm you, you hit me I'll only hit you ten times harder back'

Montgomery let out a ragged breath and raised his closed fist in front of my face, wanting to give into temptation and let fly of his fist. He suddenly jerked his arm forward but it didn't reach contact with my face, Mr Porter had stepped in to intervene and blocked his flailing arm before pulled us both apart, escorting Monty to his office immediately before he caused another scene between us to unfold and get ugly.

The office door of vice principle Child opened suddenly and I was escorting into the room by Coach Patrick, he ushered for me to take a seat in front of the vice principle as he took the one opposite mine

'Do you know why I've called you into my office this morning Mason' she asked curiously, looking up from a folder

'I'm guessing it has something to do with myself, Mr De La Cruz and the cafeteria yesterday'

'Precisely' vice principle Childs exclaimed. 'The fight that you started yesterday. You have no idea how thin the ice that you're skating on do you'

'I take full responsibility for my action but it's not my fault, I was provoked into making the first move yesterday'

'Then tell me what provoked you then Mason into throwing the first punch at Montgomery'

'I was looking out for my friend Clay Jensen, he's been unfortunate to have had run ins with him in the past. He's been bullied constantly by him and I wanted to put an end to it for good'

'I understand that you were protecting your friend but this isn't the way to handle issues like these Mason' she informed me. 'Why hasn't Clay come forward to any members of staff if he is getting bullied?'

'I don't know Mrs Child maybe you sure ask him why he doesn't feel comfortable coming forward'

'We do have an antibullying policy here at Liberty Mason and guidance councillors like Mr Porter here if they don't feel comfortable talking to their teachers about certain topics'

'Fuck Porter' I exclaimed, leaning back into my chair and folding my arms in front of my chest

'Watch your language Mr Baker' she scolded loudly

The door to Mrs Child's office opened behind me and the commotion outside in the reception area must have quieten down, Mr Porter came into the room and leaned against the wall near the desk and looked down at me

'Is there anything I can do to help Mrs Child?' he asked kindly

'I think you've helped enough don't you Mr Porter' I muttered

'I'm sorry but I don't understand what you mean Mason' Mr Porter questioned confusedly. 'Who have I helped?'

'You let my cousin Hannah down when she needed you' I glared at him. 'She came to you a month and a half ago seeking help and you didn't go after her Mr Porter, you just let her go'

'I can't discuss what is spoken in private sessions but I'm more than happy to explain to your guardians what was said between Hannah and I that day if they wish to see me'

'How are you still even working here?' I questioned

'Mr Porter is a fully qualified councillor and everything considered recently myself and Mr Bolan have no reason to suspended Mr Porter over any accusation at the minute' Mrs Child interjected to his rescue

'Thank god Hannah is still alive or her death would have been on all of you' I admitted. 'You can say this school has a bullying policy, suicidal, depression and anxiety policy or whatever else you claim to do. I wouldn't trust any of you to help any kid that goes here that are suffering right now to get the help they so desperately need'

'I think that's a bit unfair to say Mason' Mr Porter remarked

'I don't care what any of you think' I snorted. 'As far as I am concerned none of you are qualified to be in the positons that you are in'

'Ok I think we're trailing off topic now' Mr Child suggested, clearly offended and hoping to get back to why I was called here

'You clearly still have an anger issues Mason, not just at me over the way I handled Hannah's issue but more on your background' Mr Porter exclaimed. 'Why don't arrange….'

'I don't want anything from you Mr Porter. Just stay clear from my family, you got it' I sighed angrily. 'Now can we get back to my punishment, I've had enough of being talked down like I'm in the wrong'

'But you are in the wrong Mason' she snapped. 'You assaulted another student at this school in front of the whole cafeteria. Give me one good damn reason why I shouldn't suspend you as well for five days'

'This is his first offence Mrs Child, surly a warning would suffice' Coach Patrick interjected as mediator. 'I think he's learned his actions do have consequences here'

'I've checked your previous school records and you've been suspended before on numerous occasions and arrested as well on assault charges to your….'

'Don't you dare say his name in front of me. That man is died to me for all I care' I roared

'Don't you raise your voice at me Mr Baker'

'Let's just all take a minute and just breath' Mr Porter chimed in

'I could have you gone for good from this school just like this' she replied, snapping her fingers loudly. 'Now I'm gonna ask you again Mason why I shouldn't have you expelled, you're more trouble than worth keeping'

'I deserve a second chance to start a fresh in a new county. If you've read my file like I think you have than you know Mrs Child what I've been through in Nevada. If you want to expel me then go head, give up on me like everyone else has before'

Mrs Child sighed heavily and looked through my file again on the desk carefully, everything that I knew that would be on my personal record she was weighing up my future here at Liberty. I wouldn't be surprised if Mrs Child did expel me because of my history

'I'm gonna regret this decision but I'm gonna give you another chance Mason. I'm not gonna put it in your record but this is your first and last warning'

'Thank you Mrs Child' I smiled weakly

'You start another fight on the school premises Mason and I will suspend you next time' she informed me. 'Count yourself lucky that you were defending another student or would have been gone. Go to your classes now Mason we're done here before I change my mind'

I lifted my bag off the floor and left Mrs Child's office immediately before she could change her mind, there is no doubt the rest of the baseball team would hear of my punishment compared to Monty's pretty soon; I would be enemy number one again amongst some members of the team…

The school day had finished hours ago and all the extracurricular classes were done for the day, there was only myself, Bryce Walker and Coach Patrick that we're left behind in the school gym going over some sparring practise in the boxing ring.

I was gloved up and Bryce wore some sparring gloves as we worked on my footwork in the ring, Coach Patrick had noticed I was a bit sloppy in that department of the sport and needed to work on it. He shouted instruction from outside of the ring and Bryce was swinging his hands at me every now and again

'Come on Mason' he proclaimed, smacking me in the face with the glove. 'Come at me'

I threw a couple of combination punches together that didn't have the desired affect that I wish it would on Bryce. If Mateo was anything like him then I would have to go for the knockout punches to win this unfair fight

'If you can't land punches on me then you're getting knocked out in a few weeks'

'I can take you anytime' I scolded

'Give up whilst you still can buddy'

'I deserve this opportunity'

'You'll just be his reject once you loss' he sniggered, motioning off to the coach who was uninterested what was happening in the ring

Coach Patrick stepped into the ring eventually and came in between us both as a shield, I spat out my gum shield and bit into the lacing in my left glove to undo the knot; proceeding into taking off my protective gear

'All right boys that's enough now' he instructed. 'Let's call it day and start a fresh tomorrow at the same time'

All three of us left the school gym and headed into the boy's locker room that was the adjacent room next door, Bryce and Coach Patrick were chatting amongst themselves about the up and coming baseball matches. Opening my locker door and throwing on my letter man jacket to keep warm a small plastic dvd cover fell onto the floor, picking up the disc the front cover had a navy blue sharpie pen writing on it

'There are more like these' the hand written message had said on the disc

I placed the dvd quickly into my bag without Bryce or Coach Patrick seeing what I had in my hand, I made my excuses to them why I had to see so soon instead of getting their feedback from the sparring session on where I could improve next time….

Racing home quickly to an empty house I needed to know what was on the dvd and try to figure out who could have placed it inside my gym locker, I hastily pulled out the dvd from my bag and put it into the dvd player in the living room as sat down on a nearby couch arm.

The first few seconds were pitch black before some picture came onto the tv screen, Bryce had adjust his camera and stepped a couple feet back from the tripod that I knew was in his room. Chloe was passed out in the middle of the bed and Bryce had locked his room's door

'Are you awake Chloe' he asked, knowing full well she wasn't

Bryce then proceeded to remove his girlfriend's jeans from her body and slid down Chloe's panties down her legs quickly, he then ripped Chloe's blouse and fondled her breasts and kissed them. He removed all items of clothing from his body and pulled out a condom sachet from his bedside draws, sliding on the contraceptive on his member before hovering over his unconscious girlfriend again

I pressed pause on the dvd and checked the remainder of what's left the disk to be viewed. There was still over half an hour left to be watched and I could feel my stomach churning like before when I find Chloe in the clubhouse and now wanted to puke. Bryce Walker was some sick perverted rapist that liked to record the rape he committed and watch them over and over no doubt, I could only wonder who'd put that dvd into my locker to begin with and how it even got there, it would be hard to guess how many more rape dvd Bryce had made for his own self-pleasure…..


	13. Chapter 13

I couldn't believe someone from Liberty High School had a copy of the rape Bryce Walker committed on his girlfriend Chloe Rice on a dvd from a couple of days ago and had placed it into my locker. If Hannah or Jessica now wanted to come forward to the police then they could have the dvd as extra evidence against the claims that would be against him.

Whoever had placed the dvd in my locker must have known of Bryce's extracurricular activities at the clubhouse, it got to be one of his close allies that could get his hands on other dvds that the person claimed were out there. It couldn't have been any of my close friends that I made on the baseball team because they didn't even know what was on the other side of the room. It had to be someone from Bryce's close circle of friends.

Early into the hours of the next day my body had woken up early than I usually would do in the morning, I had a restless night worth of sleep after replaying the events I saw on the dvd yesterday. I had only watched it once and barfed several times during it as it was etched into my head. I had decided to make the most of my early morning and go for a run before school started.

Creeping out of my bedroom and into the empty hallway I walked quietly past the bedrooms of my sleeping family, shutting the wooden door and locked it behind me I had set my watch on my wrist and started the stopwatch….

After five laps of the surrounding neighbourhood in good time for a gentle pace of run, I saw a familiar figure out on a morning run that I haven't seen before. Running at a much fast pace to catch up to the runner I finally came level with him after a couple of minutes

'On your left Clay' I requoted from the opening of Captain America The Winter Solider, starling him as we began to slow down

'Hey Mason' he greeted

'This is the first time I've seen you out on a morning run' I proclaimed. 'What's the occasion?'

'No occasion whatsoever I just wanted to go on a run' he stated. 'I read somewhere that running is good for people with anxiety'

'Yeah I read that somewhere as well. You're not thinking about Monty are you?'

I knew he was worried about Monty and how he would react to being suspended; Hannah had told me before that Clay suffered with anxiety. Clay had stopped jogging and let a deep sigh as I stopped beside him on the curb, he was a bit shaken up at the sound of his name as I placed a hand on his shoulder. 'Yeah I am' he informed me

'Are you ok Clay?'

'No I'm not Mason, don't get me wrong I'm grateful that you stepped in for me but I wish you hadn't' he admitted. 'My head wants to play mind games with me and every time I hear a noise or something twitch I think it's gonna be him'

'Hey you got me now brother. Monty isn't going to come anywhere near you now not while I'm here'

'I just don't want to feel this way like I do and ruin my relationships with people. I've had medication before for my anxiety and it messed with my head, I don't want that again to just feel better'

'Have you talked to your folks about having a new small prescription for it? It might help than having a big dosage'

'You've not met my mom Mason' he exclaimed. 'If you knew what she's like, she would have me on all sorts or meds and have me make daily visit to a therapist if she knew I had trouble with my anxiety again'

'She's your mom Clay. Course she's going to worry about you'

'I just want to beat it on my own Mason after how many years of battling it now'

'Well if you want something to beat Clay I'm going over to City Gym for a light early morning workout, you're more than welcome to come join me if you like'

'Sure if you don't think I'm just gonna get in the way of your workout'

'Nonsense' I assured him by placing a hand on top of his shoulder. 'I would love the company Clay'

Clay nodded his head eagerly and we took a slow walk to the other side of the town to get to the gym, conserving our energy as much as we could before I put a real shift into my workout. I didn't want to be all puffed out of stamina by the time we got there….

Caleb had been kind enough to give a space set of keys to the gym so I didn't have to keep on waking him up every morning so he could just open up for me, I was very grateful to him that I had another place to train away other than at Liberty High School with the serial rapist for help

Once inside the building I locked up after Clay so no one could get in and rob the place of its valuable equipment in the early hours of the morning, we went over to the weights section of the gym and I picked up fifty kg dumbbells for each arm. Clay had decided to pick up the same weight dumbbells and his arms were dropping down because of the weight

'Have you got them Clay? Or do you need some help'

'I need some help it's too heavy for me' he strained tightly

I quickly stepped in before Clay dropped the weights onto his feet and hurt himself, Aunt Liv and Hannah wouldn't be too happy that the first boyfriend Hannah brought home and I hurt him in the gym under my request to join me. I dread to think what Hannah would do if I did hurt him even by accident

Taking the weights I dropped them back down into the holder and picked out a much light weight to begin with for Clay, I gave him a much lighter set of ten kg dumbbells

'Try these for size Clay'

'I aint a little kid'

'We all got to start somewhere with weights' I informed him. 'Clearly you haven't done the heavier sets before so best to start off on the lighter ones. Work your way up till you can handle the heavier ones'

Clay had taken my advice and began on the light sets and was doing three reps of ten on each arm before slowing moving up in the weights. I continued with the fifty kg dumbbells and was doing two reps of twenty five on each arm, moving up to the seventy five kg weight with reps of twenty….

After my weights workout I moved over to the other side of the gym to the pullup bars and rested for a moment, out of the corner of my eye I saw Clay pull off his running t-shirt and threw it on a bench behind him, his face was glum and sadness was written all over him as he checked himself out in the mirror

'Looking good Clay' I encouraged loudly

'I look average buddy' he huffed disappointingly. 'I aint got no muscles or anything'

'That aint anything you've got to be ashamed off'

Placing both of my hands on the bar I pulled up my own body weight and raised my chin over the bar before dropping down and starting another set, counting quickly as I could to get to fifty to test my upper body on speed and strength

'I just want to look good and not feel ashamed of my body on how it looks' Clay explained. 'Even though I'm not the fattest or the thinnest I've been called names before over the way I look'

'You've just got to block out the haters and listen to what your friends and family think of you, what your girlfriend thinks of you'

'I want to be in the best shape I can for Hannah' he admitted, jumping up on the bar and starting his set of pull ups

'She would love you for just being you Clay; she wouldn't care how you looked'

'I know Mason'

'She's only got eyes for just you Clay' I admitted. 'I've never seen my little sister look so happy around a boy before'

Stopping halfway in my pullup exercises to fifty I just hanged from the bars before I dropped to the ground, Clay stopped his workout worriedly and dropped also from the bar

'I tell you what Clay, if you still insecure about your body why don't you work out with me every morning regularly'

'I couldn't ask you to do that Mason. Not while you've got your first boxing match coming up soon'

'It would be no bother Clay I could really do with a friend in the gym instead of working out at the school gym with Bryce most evenings'

'And you reckon you can get me into the shape Mason' he asked, raising a brow. 'Even after all the chocolate milk I drink daily'

'Give it three months and you'll see steady improvements to your body in no time'

'Ok you got a deal Mason' he replied, holding out his hand in front of me

'I got one condition to the deal'

'What's that then' he questioned confusedly

'You be my new sparring partner in the ring and I'll show you a few moves so you can handle yourself'

'Thanks Mason'

'Who knows, you could even be Coach Patrick's new boxing superstar' I chuckled lightly whilst shaking Clay's hand

Clay and I leaped back up and held onto the bars to finish off what we had left to do on the pull up bar exercise. I asked Clay kindly if he would get into the ring with me to help me on my foot movements with the sparring gloves to which he gladly agreed, I strapped up the gloves on Clay's hand tightly as we climbed into the ring to took our positions

'You ready Clay'

'As I'll ever be. Go easy on me Mason'

I nodded my head and held up my arms in front of me to take my boxing stance, Clay braced himself and held out his hands away from his chest, and with half the force I could punch at I lightly worked a few punches at Clay's padded hands

'How's everything going between you and Hannah' I asked

'Everything's going good between us so far, we've got another date night planned for Saturday after our shift at The Crestmont'

'Anything special planned for that night'

'I'm gonna take her out for dinner that night and then we're gonna watch a couple of zombie movies down my house'

'Sounds like fun but I thought you hated zombie movies' I proclaimed

'Hannah loves them and I love her' he smiled happily. 'How are things between you and Jess?'

'What' I questioned dumbfounded

'Don't give me that Mason, it's obvious you both like each other but you both haven't said a thing to one another'

'I have no idea what you're talking about Clay? We're just friends that's all'

'Just like the same way me and Hannah were before we admitted how we felt'

'It's just purely platonic between me and Jessica' I informed him. 'She's one of the first friends I made when I moved to Crestmont so I guess I talk to her a lot more than I would to anyone else on the team'

'Hannah told me she's heard you on the phone to her a lot most nights' he teased

'We just send each other a shit load of memes and we end up talking a lot on Skype about what we sent'

'If I weren't with Hannah and in Jessica's league like you are, I would ask her out if I were you in a heartbeat'

'We're just friends' I stated. 'And that's what we'll ever just be to each other, just friends. Besides she has a boyfriend anyway Clay'

'A beautiful and smart girl like Jessica can do a whole lot better than Justin. But hey ho they do say love is blind after all'

'You can't help who you fall for Clay and Jess has already fallen for Justin'

'But you like her don't you Mason'

'As a friend' I stated again hopelessly, hoping that Clay would drop it sooner or later about my relationship with Jess

'But much more than that' Clay sighed deeply, taking a hit into his padded glove

'Yes' I admitted hesitantly, feeling a small smile plaster across my face

Clay dropped his arms from his boxing stance position at my not so shocking revelation; he pumped his arms up in the air happily before coming up and put an arm around me. I nudged him away slightly and took a drink from my water bottle in the corner of the ring

'You should tell her how you feel Mason'

'I'm not saying anything to Jess that I like her more than I do, it would be awkward right now knowing her relationship status'

'Hannah or I could say something to her if you wanted us too' Clay suggested. 'Obviously we wouldn't make it blatant that you've said something to us'

'Thanks but no thanks Clay, If I'm going to tell Jessica how I feel than I would want to do it myself' I proclaimed. 'I don't need either of your help when it concerns my love life. I've already had my heart broken before when it concerns relationships so I'll keep my distance for now'

'Oh shit, I'm sorry to hear that Mason'

'You weren't to know Clay I like to keep my past in the past, where it belongs'

We resume our boxing stance again and I knew I hadn't improved my foot movements again as I was just stationary in the ring, I tried to work Clay in the ring but I was always positioned in the same place as I was before at the start going for the big finish in the ring. Whilst sparring away in the ring with Clay I couldn't shake away certain thoughts that lingered in my mind about my past, my mother and little brother Teddy were always on my mind, as were my enemies Jacob Johnstone, my ex-girlfriend and my father….

The rest of the morning went without any trouble and Clay hadn't brought up the topic of me liking Jess in front of Hannah or slightly given hints to Jessica that I did when we would have shared classes together. Jessica and I were at our lockers and grabbing our books for the next class after lunch break so we could have that little bit extra time to chill instead of rushing back into packed halls to grab our things

Clay and Hannah were coming out of the reception office doors and spotted us at the other end of the hallway, they had stopped at their lockers first to grab their things before coming over to us. We greeted them warmly and the two girls hugged each other briefly as Clay and I fisted bumped each other, I noticed Clay was holding a small white paper bag in his hand that he collected from reception

'What you got there Clay' I asked curiously

'You remember our chat in the morning about you know, I talked to my mom as soon as I got home about starting up my medication again in small dosages'

'That's great Clay' I smiled

'What medication' Jessica questioned, not knowing Clay's full history as she's only known him for a year

'For his anxiety' Hannah informed her, holding her boyfriend's hand more tightly

'My dad has anxiety as well Clay, he used to be on the long term medication but now he hardly ever needs them' Jessica exclaimed

'I didn't know that Jess' he replied. 'Umm do you think I could meet your dad and talk to him about how he's dealt with his anxiety issues, being in the army and all and how stressful that can be?'

'Sure I could set that up for you if you like Clay. My folks are always asking when am I gonna bring some friends around so they could meet them, I'm sure they would love you guys if you came'

'Maybe a rain check for me Jess' I sighed deeply, avoiding her gaze

Clay and Hannah looked at each other suspiciously as to why I had rejected her offer with them to meet her parents, Clay knew some of my reasons why I felt uncomfortable and meeting parents seemed a step to far for me to take with my given history.

'So how often to do have to take your medication Clay' I asked

'As often when I need them or if I feel an anxiety attack coming along' he explained

The front doors of the hallway opened and in stepped Justin Foley, Zack Dempsey and Oscar Hernández, they were most likely making their way to the cafeteria to meet up with the rest of the jocks. Clay looked uneasy as one of his bullies was coming down the hall as he hid his medication bag from their sight as they were coming past and Justin stopped by his girlfriend's side much to his horror, dropping an arm around her shoulders lovingly and pulling her close

'Hey babe' he stated, pressing his lips against hers

'Hey' Jessica replied, trying to pull away from her boyfriend

'You fancy making the most of this period and going somewhere more private, I haven't seen you in ages'

'I'm with my friends Justin maybe we can hang out another time'

'So you would rather spend time with these losers than your own boyfriend' Justin remarked. 'No offence Mason'

'Well some taken' I interjected, rolling my eyes

'Bryce has given me the keys to you know where and I was thinking we could have some alone time together, I aint really seen you alone since your party a couple of weeks back'

The moment those words left Justin's mouth the four of us who knew what happened that night felt sick to our stomach, he was trying to brush off that they hooked up together other than the fact he let his best friend rape his girlfriend

'I'm ok where I am Justin I don't want to go there ever'

'You always seem up for the clubhouse if Mason is there'

'The what' Clay enquired, obviously not knowing the secret building in the small woodland behind the school

'Never you mind pipsqueak' Justin snorted rudely

'Hey don't talk to my boyfriend like that' Hannah exclaimed protectively, stepping in front of Clay

'Having your bitch stand up for you Clay real manly'

'Say another thing about my friends Justin and we're gonna have another problem between us' I proclaimed

'Don't be stupid Mason or you'll be suspended for having another fight on school grounds'

I stepped in front of Clay, Hannah and Jessica and squared right up to her boyfriend, Zack came in between the both of us before another fight could break out in the halls. I felt Jessica wrapping her hand around my arm and pull me back from making a mistake and being suspended over a worthless fight. Justin glared at his girlfriend's hand on my arm and averted his gaze to Clay and spotted his prescription bag

'Oscar think fast' he proclaimed

Justin snatched the white bag out of Clay's grasp and threw it to Oscar, who had retreated back a couple of steps to the other side of the hallway

'Hey give that back' Clay sighed heavily

'Come and get it'

Oscar toyed with Clay and placed a hand on his chest to keep him away from his other arm, he then threw the bag to Zack who caught it and was stuck into making a decision. He held out the bag for Clay to take again but Justin retrieved it before I could

'Stop being childish now Justin and give it back to him' I asked

'Fuck that' he laughed. 'I might as well bin these, come and get it rat boy'

Justin held the bag over the waste bin and we all watched as he let go of the prescription bag, he caught it again a few second later and threw it back to Oscar. The four of us tried to get the bag back from the three jocks who were throwing back and forth between them with ease

After a few shorts throws between the three jocks Jessica intercepted one of the throws, catching the bag and checking all the contents were still inside, the three jocks sighed disappointingly that they couldn't keep hold of the bag. Jessica walked over to Clay who was be held up by me and Hannah as an anxiety attack had set in

'I'm so sorry about them Clay' she apologised sympathetically, handing the small bag back to him

'Thank you Jess' he sighed raggedly

Clay opened up the bag and took out the small bottle inside, he cracked off the lid and dumped two Xanax into his palm as Hannah gave him a water bottle from her bag. He took his medication as Hannah rubbed his arm sympathetically, Jessica pulled away from us after she was sure Clay would be ok and went to her boyfriend

'Justin can I have a word with you outside'

'Maybe later babe I'm gonna go and see the rest of the guys' he excused, trying to walk away from us

'Now Justin' she scolded

He huffed and followed his girlfriend out of the hallway and back through the doors he came through minutes ago, Jessica held the door open for him and smiled weakly back at us before following him to a quite spot to chat out front of the school…..

For the rest of the day Jessica or Justin didn't return back to Liberty High School after their chat outside the school gates, Hannah and I had tried texting Jess but she didn't reply to any of our messages, I guess she was still talking things over with Justin somewhere.

On the way back home from school I had decided to stop at Monet's for some baked treats and a coffee, once entering the coffee shop I went up to the till and placed my order to go to the barista. Moving over to one side of the counter to wait for my order I saw a familiar figure sat alone at a small circular table at the back of the store, the girl was lost in her own thoughts as she stirred a spoon in her mug as I went over to her

'Mind if I join you' I asked

The girl had looked up from her hot chocolate and Jessica's eyes were red and puffy, she had definitely been crying most of the afternoon after her talk with Justin and had come back to her to be left alone. I pulled out the spare chair from her table and sat down opposite Jessica

'Are you alright Jess' I asked. 'Sorry that's a stupid thing to ask'

'I'm fine Mason' she sniffled loudly whilst wiping a tear away

'Come on Jess I've known you for a little while now and I know when you're not alright' I proclaimed, raising a brow. 'Has something happened between you and Justin, you didn't come back to school after you left'

'We talked and then we argued for a bit before going our separate ways, I think we just broke up there and then'

'You think you guys broke up or you know you broke up for good'

'I don't know Mason, we said a lot of mean and hurtful things to each other and then just left from the car park'

'Well he's an asshole then who doesn't know what he's just done. He doesn't deserve to be with someone as beautiful, pure and compassionate as you'

'Then who does? I always seem to go after the wrongs one every time'

'Someone like me' I blurted out

I accidently placed my hand on top of Jessica's and she didn't pull away from the sudden contact, I let out a sigh of relief and smiled weakly at the girl as she brushed a few strains of her hair back from her eye line, Jessica let out a small smile and softly squeezed the top of my hand back…..


	14. Chapter 14

I could feel the squeeze of her hand against mine and time had stood still around us over our joined hands, neither of us was sure what to do next by either pulling our hands back under the table or just leaving it lay there on top of each. Taking control of the misfortunate accident I pulled my hand back and kept it under the table

Jessica pulled her arm back from the table and leant on her cheek in the palm of her hand, we glanced around the coffee shop for any familiar faces that we could recognise from Liberty High School. The coast was clear and no unwanted rumours of our meet up could be spread like wildfire if anyone happened to catch Jessica and Justin breaking up outside of the school gates and then see us both in here like this. I pushed my seat a bit back from the table so it wouldn't look like we were having a private intimate moment together

'So about what you were saying Mason'

'What about it Jess?' I questioned

'Someone like you' she stated, raising a brow. 'Do you really mean yourself?'

'I didn't mean myself Jess but someone that is like me, that would treat you right but also everyone else he would come into contact with'

I wanted to nothing but face palm myself over how stupid I must have sounded to Jessica, which was the best excuse I could come up with when she was asking me straight if I thought I deserved to be with someone like her

'What I mean Jess is that you could do a whole lot better than me' I concluded

'Well that's a damn shame Mason I think you deserve to be loved'

'As much as I want to be with someone I don't think I'm ready to commit myself to someone again'

'Is it because of Ruby?' she questioned

'Don't ever mention that bitch's name around me again'

Whenever I heard the name of my ex-girlfriend the wounds on my body that were slowly healing were being split open again, I don't know what it was but that girl had done a number on me and I couldn't shake my past of her. One night we were talking about previous relationships and I had told Jessica a bit about Ruby, she hadn't known the full story of what she did to me so I only let her know I got hurt by her

'Sorry Mason' she whimpered, bowing her head over what she mistakenly had said

'No I'm sorry Jess, I shouldn't have snapped at you over nothing if I told you I was over her'

'It's no biggy maybe you could make it up to me some time'

'Just name the place and when and I'll be there'

'Well since I'm now single and free to mingle I think' she proclaimed, trying to think what was spoken in her argument with Justin. 'I really need a night out. No one has thrown a party in ages around here'

'Do you really think that's a good idea Jess, you know with a serial rapist on the loose in Crestmont, we'd only be giving him a reason to strike again' I whispered so only the two of us could hear

'Shit I didn't think of that'

'I tell you what. Why don't I make it up to you Jessica and we go out for a meal and a movie instead' I suggested

'So it's a date then' Jessica exclaimed hopefully

'Well it's not really a date'

'So it's a date that's not a date but it actually is a date when you actually think about dates' Jessica questioned, raising a brow

'Now you're just getting confusing Jess' I chuckled lightly. 'It's just two friends having food together and maybe seeing a movie one night'

'I look forward to this non official date then Slick when it does happen'

'That was so not slick at all was it to be honest' I chuckled

'No it really wasn't Mason but it was something I needed, a good laugh to forget about my problems'

'Well I try my best' I laughed again nervously. 'Jess…umm….there's something I want to tell you, I….'

A small commotion was happening in the back of the coffee store that was spilling over to the main foyer; customers turned their heads to where the sound was coming from as a small brunette girl stepped out from out the back of the shop. The young girl was trying to hold back her tears and keep a brave face as Bryce Walker came out from the back moments later, Bryce was backing her into a corner so he could get her to calm down from making a scene, he grabbed her wrist whilst trying to say something to her

'Should we help Mason' she asked

'I'll take care of it Jess before things escalate further'

Getting out of my chair quickly I made my way down to the foyer of the coffee shop, pushing past customers who were stood in shock over what was happening before their eyes. After finally making it to the front of the crowd I tapped Bryce on his shoulder, he swivelled his head to look who had wanted his attention

'Let her go Bryce'

'What's it got to do with you buddy?' he stated. 'We're just trying to talk'

'Well she doesn't want to talk to you so just leave her alone'

'Screw it' he huffed irritatingly. 'We're not done Amanda'

Bryce let go of his grip of Amanda's wrist and quickly left the coffee shop with all eyes glaring at him, stepping a few feet forward the girl I carefully placed a hand on the side of her arm to gain her attention. She was still a bit shaken up with whatever happened back there with Bryce

'Are you ok Amanda' I asked

'Do I even know you?' she stated, raising a brow

'I don't think we've had the privilege to meet yet' I proclaimed, holding out my hand. 'I'm Mason Baker'

'Amanda McIntyre' she greeted, clasping her hand into mine and shook my hand. 'You're the new kid at Liberty aint you'

'Yeah how do you know that?'

'We go to the same school and I'm a junior as well'

'I've never seen you around before at the school and I've been going there for the past few weeks now'

'I've been off from school for a few weeks with a family bereavement'

'Oh I'm so sorry to hear that Amanda' I gulped nervously. 'If you don't mind me asking, what happened back there with Bryce?'

'He was being his usual asshole self after I reject his advances again'

'Jesus' I groaned in disbelief that he would try that in public

'I'm used to Bryce trying it on with me every now and again when he's bored but he took it too far today'

'You're used to it' I questioned

'We used to be boyfriend and girlfriend in freshman year before I called time on our relationship after a year'

'So what did Bryce do to you back there then that went too far if you knew what he was like?'

'At first he was asking me to jerk him off and I told him no, Bryce was getting persistent about it and placed my hand on his thing. Bryce told me he wanted to have sex and then unbuttoned his pants and stood naked from the waist down' she explained. 'He put his hand down my jeans and touched me inappropriately and pushed his fingers inside of me'

'Shit' I murmured

'I pushed him away from me and told him to stay the fuck away from me'

'You need to report what he did to you to the police Amanda, he just sexually assaulted you back there'

'I'm guessing you're aware of the clubhouse Mason'

'I'm aware of it' I nodded

'Bryce has got dvds of what we got up to in there and we had done some freaky shit in bed, he's threated me before if I open my mouth what he's done to me then he would post the videos online' Amanda explained. 'I can't let him do that so I play along to his demands most of the times when we alone somewhere private, he just went too far today'

'I'm so sorry Bryce has that hold over you' I whimpered. 'I would back you up if you wanted to go public to the police'

'I can never do that Mason over what he has on me' she cried. 'If you look very closely at Liberty than you'll see more of Bryce's victims. I'm pretty sure there are plenty more out there'

'Only one of his victims needs to come forward and report it to the police and then I think the rest would tell their stories as well'

'You're asking a lot of that one person Mason to do something so difficult in coming forward, it's a hell of a lot harder to do than saying so'

'If you don't want to then that's fine Amanda that's your choice' I sighed deeply. 'If I were you I would get a copy of today's cctv footage as evidence for one day if you wanted to take things further'

Amanda nodded her head and went to speak to her manager in the back of the store for a private discussion away from staff and customers. One of her colleague had brought my order to the counter and handed it to me and apologised for the delay and disturbance here.

I took hold of my coffee cup and the box of pastries and walked away from the counter, looking over to Jessica I saw she wasn't alone and some of her cheerleading squad had joined her at the small table, she waved me off as I left the coffee chain and headed back home….

Arriving back home minutes later from the coffee store I entered the house and was surprised to see Hannah and Clay back here already so soon; they both were curled up on the sofa with their arms around each other and watching a movie on the tv.

'Oh hey you guys' I greeted them

Walking over to them I placed the box of baked goods down on the coffee table and open up the lid for them, Clay had helped himself to a chocolate éclair and while Hannah had opted for a strawberry jam scone. Picking up what was left in the box I walked into the kitchen and placed the pastry box into the fridge before going off to my room so I leave the two lovebirds alone

Seating down on my bed and dropping my face into the palm of my hands, I couldn't help but think every new person I meet in this town has some sort of a connection to Bryce Walker; he was a parasite that was ruining the lives of some many people in this town.

If only Bryce hadn't tried to make his attempted assault to Amanda in the back of the store then maybe, just maybe I would have had the guts to say how I felt about Jessica to her. I knew deep down in my heart of hearts I would end up screwing it and not saying anything to Jess at all

If only I wasn't so damaged and had the confidence I had in myself before around girls than I knew I would have asked Jessica out, guess from past experiences I wasn't too keen know to act on my feelings publicly. I wonder what the first girl I ever loved Ruby Steinburg is doing nowadays back in Nevada after I had been screwed over plenty of times by her in Eagle Mountain High School….

_Entering the cafeteria with my best friend Jacob Johnstone in tow it was packed to the bream with students so we decided to have our lunch outside in the courtyard. Seating down at an empty table under the shade of a tree I looked over at another table and saw a familiar face of the girl that lived across the road from me_

_Ruby Steinburg was the most beautiful girl I had ever had set eyes on and I just wanted to get a little closer to her and know her better. She was fast becoming the most popular girl in our year group and any guy would be lucky to get any bit of attention from her let alone have the chance to date her_

_'__Yo earth to Mason' Jacob exclaimed, nudging my shoulder 'You still there'_

_Feeling annoyed about being disturbed from my daydream I turned to my best friend. 'Yeah I'm still here buddy'_

_'__Forget about her mate it's never going to happen anyway between the two of you'_

_'__Never say Never'_

_'__You don't even have the balls to talk to her and you've known Ruby for how long now?' he questioned, raising a brow_

_'__Who doesn't have any balls now' a voice interjected behind us, coming closer to our table with a tray of food in his hands _

_'__Your brother' Jacob stated _

_Rolling my eyes at the answer of my best friend I fist bumped my little brother who had decided to join us for lunch for most days of the week instead of being around his friends. It's not like I didn't want him around me but I felt sorry for him that his was being picked on for being different _

_'__How's it going little bro'_

_'__Not to bad I guess' he replied, keeping his gaze down to his tray of food_

_A group of boys walked past our table and one of them knocked over his bag from the table which spill the contents everywhere on the floor, Teddy reached down and gathered up his belongings again and stuffed them inside as the sounds of giggles echoed in the distance _

_'__Hey Teddy, I'll always have your back' I proclaimed _

_'__That goes for me as well brother' Jacob interjected, smiling weakly _

_I picked up the chocolate bar from my tray and placed it in my little brother's tray, he did always enjoy Hershey cookie and cream more than me. Whilst tucking into our lunch I could but help catch a few glances every now and again at my crush Ruby Steinburg, she caught me looking and we then held our gaze for a few seconds before looking elsewhere _

_I could feel the sides of my face burn up red hot and a heavy blush fell upon my cheeks after being caught checking her out_

_'__Go talk to her' Teddy suggest, following my gaze to the other table_

_'__And say what exactly'_

_'__I don't know you like her'_

_'__I aint a four year old child in kindergarten confessing to some girl that I like her'_

_'__Well stop acting like one and do something about it' Jacob proclaimed_

_It was no secret to them that I told the two closes people in my life how I felt about Ruby; I was the butt of most of their jokes daily that I would look at her from afar and not do anything about my feelings _

_'__Alright I will' _

_Surprising them both I got up from our table and walked away from them as I could hear their murmurs that I was just pulling their legs and divert somewhere else in the courtyard. Finally reaching Ruby's table I sat down next to her _

_'__Hey Ruby'_

_'__Hi Mason' she greeted back, confused as to why I had decided to come over to her table when she knew I would stare at her from afar. 'Is there something I can help you with?'_

_'__I'm just gonna be straight with you about something, I like you'_

_'__I like you too as a friend' she nodded _

_'__I mean a whole lot more than that. I've liked you for a while now and I was too scared to say something to you before'_

_'__Please tell me you're not gonna ask me out or to be your….'_

_'__When I walked you home last summer from Chad's party and I kissed you'_

_'__Jesus Mason' _

_She was clearly annoyed by my revelation to her friends that something happened between us that she didn't want her friends to know, a few of her friends at the table started gossiping under their breath about us as Ruby gritted her teeth tightly and anger boiled over her face as the rumours that would be brewing_

_'__I know you felt something too that night that you've been denying to yourself for a while'_

_'__It was a drunken kiss and a mistake that night Mason it should never have happened'_

_'__Then why did you kiss me back Ruby' I questioned, raising a brow _

_'__Like I said it was a drunken thing'_

_'__I know you like me too and we've been close to each other for a while now' I rambled. 'If I kissed you right now Ruby tell you wouldn't kiss me back'_

_'__You wouldn't dare'_

_Ruby bite her bottom lip and leaned forward to me suggestively as she dropped her gaze from my eyes to my mouth and back again, from the signals she was giving I couldn't tell if she was angry or just play hard to get with me like she usually does; I took a bold decision that I though was right and what she wanted me to do_

_Dipping my head down I slowly leaned across and closed the small space between us, gently brushing my lips against Ruby's I kissed her sweetly in that moment. I had definitely caught her by surprise as no one on this table thought I would do it. I couldn't wait to see the jaw dropped face of my best friend Jacob _

_Pulling away moments later from her I was breathless from the kiss as Ruby seemed all hot and flustered, surrounding people on other tables were soon gossiping about what had just happened as eyes from every direction were soon landing on us. _

_'__Ruby' I stated breathless_

_The girl had hardly even moved from her spot when I kissed her or even blinked an eye, the next few seconds happened in a blur and I hadn't registered the pain till it started to seep in. the left side of my cheek burned red from the powerful slap of her hand and everyone around us winced in pain from the sound of skin on skin contact made_

_'__Don't you dare touch me again Mason you creep' she screamed_

_Ruby got up from the table immediately and rushed back inside the main school building, her best friend wasn't that far behind her as I could feel everyone's eyes on me after they were out of sight. The rumour mill would be going into overdrive by the end of lunch break today and I wished the ground would just open and swallow me up…._

Finally snapping out of my daydream from all the way back of sophomore year I couldn't make the same mistakes I did then now, acting on my feelings when I knew I should hold off and wait for a better opportunity to appear to say how I feel

Jessica's P.O.V

Not long after Mason had left the coffee shop abruptly I had decided to leave to the safe confides of my home, once entering the safety of my house I made my way up to my bedroom to be left alone for the rest of the day; I didn't want to see anyone and have obvious questions asked about why I was upset.

Well that wasn't entirely true but if Hannah or Mason showed up to my house I wouldn't turn either of them away. What Mason had said to me in Monet's I couldn't stop thinking about it, he seems like the type of guy who wouldn't go and do the normal types of dates ideas; I was curious to what he would have planned for us to do on our non-official date

Feeling my phone vibrate inside my jean pocket my mind though of only one person I hoped it would be, seeing the notification it was from Justin the smile on my face dropped an inch as I opened up the text

'Hey Jess, can we meet somewhere to talk? I'm sorry for everything J xx'

I threw my phone on the bed and grabbed a pillow from behind me and screamed angrily into it, after letting out the anguish inside of me I dropped down on the bed and curled up into a ball, there was no way I wanted to see my now ex-boyfriend

Over the next few days the text messages from Justin became relentless with each passing day, I would receive a good handful of long and apologetic texts that I kept on ignoring without replying anything back. It seems it would get more worse with the texts messages and I needed to nip in the bud where we both stood with each other

During Friday's lunch period I had gotten another text message on my phone from Justin and I didn't need to check it to know it was from him, I had made a good job of ignoring him for the week as I pulled the phone out of my jean pocket. I didn't bother reading his text as I opened up a new message and told him to meet me in Monet's after school today, as much as I still liked him I needed to let him go because we we're no good for each other

I had made my excuses to Clay, Hannah and Mason why I couldn't hang out with them at the end of the school day, I had promised to text them so we could hang out together at some during the weekend if I weren't a complete mess by then. I waved my friends off from outside of the gates and made my way over to Monet's….

Being the first to arrive to the coffee chain I had ordered a hot chocolate and had decided to wait for Justin to arrive at my usual spot in the shop, I wrapped a hand around the mug as the other lingered on the table and tapped impatiently

Justin Foley arrived fifteen minutes later and spotted me in the back of the store, he came up to my table and took a seat opposite me with a smile plastered across his face with puppy dog eyes pleaded for a quick reunion

'I got your text earlier' Justin stated the obvious

'Yeah I gathered as much'

'Have you been waiting long for me' he asked, checking the clock on the wall and then seeing the mug on the table. 'Do you think they serve Gatorade here?'

'I don't think so' I replied unamused. 'I'll keep this short why I texted for you to meet me here. The last couple of days have really opened my eyes'

'If this is about our fight the other day babe then I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said the things I did to you and I'm so sorry for that'

'I'm breaking up with you Justin' I blurted out, feeling flustered from being side-tracked

'Come on babe this isn't the first time we have broken up before, we were so on and off during the summer before we came official'

'But this time it's for real Justin'

'Stop messing around with me Jess and I'm sorry for saying we were done the other day, I didn't mean any of it'

'I'm being serious this time Justin I've had a few days to think about us and you're not the person who I thought you were'

'What's that supposed to mean' he remarked, clearly offended

'I thought you were sweet, kind and adorable but you're none of those things now to me or to my friends. I can't be with someone who's gonna be an asshole to my friends no matter who they are, I love you Justin but I'm not in love with you anymore'

'Mason has said something to you hasn't he? He's put words and thoughts into your head about us'

'He hasn't done anything Justin I made my own decisions about us'

'Don't give me that Jess! I've seen the ways you look at him behind my back, you don't think I get told by the lads the way you two look at each other'

'Don't try and flip this on me Justin' I scolded. 'Mason is a friend and I don't have to tell you a thing if anything has happened between us because you're not my boyfriend anymore. We're done remember'

'Fuck me' he sniggered in disbelief, dropping the side of his cheek into his hand. 'Something has definitely happened before'

Dropping back into my seat I knew if I continued to throw some insults back then we would be engaging into a slagging match for any little pet peeves. I didn't want to carry on the conversation if there wasn't any left to say to my now ex-boyfriend. Continuing to look at Justin and meet his raging gaze I felt the table shake as he shot up suddenly

'Enjoy it, because you will. That's what sluts like you do'

The hateful words that spilled out of Justin's mouth cut through me like a hot knife through butter, in that moment I now knew what Hannah felt when I said the exact same thing to her when I accused her of sleeping with my then boyfriend Alex

Justin pulled out his phone from his jean pocket and made his quick exit out of the coffee shop, he couldn't bear to look at me as he was too busy typing away on his phone. It wasn't hard to guess that he would be letting off steam to his best friend Bryce Walker, endless amount of thoughts raced through my mind what he could be telling him that would so spread around the school

Tears flowed from my eyes as I struggled to see clearly through them, I was more upset over what Justin had said to me other than breaking up with him. I could hear a pair of footsteps approach my table as I hadn't look up from my mug, whoever it was I just wanted them to leave me alone right now

The person pulled out the chair the was tucked under the table whilst another chair was placed in the middle of the of the two seats, wiping the remaining tears from my cheek with the side of my hand I saw through my blurred vision that Hannah and Mason had taken a seat at the table

'Are you ok Jess' Hannah asked sincerely

'I'll be ok Hannah' I assured them. 'How did you know I was even in here?'

'We were heading to the drug store when Justin came storming out of here and nearly ran us over on the sidewalk, Hannah looked through the window and saw you sat alone our your table' Mason informed me

'Why we're you seeing Justin babe? I thought things were over between the two of you' Hannah stated

'I wanted him to know where we both stood and properly end things with him as to why I was breaking up with him other than our argument the other day in the parking lot being our final talk to each other'

'I'm guessing he didn't take things to well then' Mason interjected

'I think it's safe to say I'll be the topic of everyone's gossip tomorrow in the hall ways when I came past'

'Why's that' he questioned, raising a brow

'Knowing how jealous Justin can get and this crazy though going on through his head that I'm seeing someone else behind his back, he'll be sure to let everyone know I'm a slut'

'Don't talk yourself down like that babe' Hannah sympathised

'You know how it is Hannah at Liberty, once they tag you that's all you got until you're tagged again as something else'

'Then own it Jess' he proclaimed

'How' I questioned

'Hold your head up high and smile as you go past them in the halls. Let them believe what they want to believe because you can't change that no matter what you say and they'll soon realise in time that they are wrong and Justin is nothing but a jealous lie that couldn't get over a break up'

'Easier said than done Mason you don't have to walk around with that tag over your head for god knows how long'

'Well it's a good job you have us as friends then' Mason replied. 'We aint going to leave your side from now on Jess'

Mason placed his hand over mine on the table and gave a reassuring squeeze and not long after Hannah had done the same also to our pilled hands, whatever bullshit hell I had to walk through tomorrow I knew I wouldn't be alone without my friends as confidence boosters. For the first time in days I smiled a genuine smile that the future might turn out to be ok after all…..


	15. Chapter 15

The last couple of weeks hadn't been easy on Jessica around Liberty High School, word had soon spread of her break up with Justin Foley and the rumour mill was going well into overdrive. They were becoming talk of the school of how one of the newest power couple had seized to be, by every passing hour new rumours about Jessica had started to sprung and it didn't help with the jocks spreading new ones about her to cover Justin's ass that she broke up with him first than the other way around as some rumours were lead to believe.

Clay, Hannah and I felt so sorry and helpless to Jess when the four of us would hang out together on school campus, no matter what we said or didn't say it didn't do any good to Jessica to distract her from the bullshit she was receiving, but she was glad and kept on repeating how thankful she was that the three of us had stuck by her side throughout this ongoing ordeal which seems it will never end.

After school had finished for the day I had my routine training schedule planned with Coach Patrick and Bryce in the boxing ring, without even telling me Bryce had invited the whole of the baseball team to come down and watch our sparring session. I wasn't annoyed that he'd done that but Bryce didn't even bother to consult me about hosting open sparring sessions

Coach Patrick walked over to Bryce and was joining in the banterful conversation they were having with the baseball team. Sitting down on the bench and doing the straps tightly on my hands I could feel their eyes on me as I had just became the topic of their conversation

Moments later I felt a presence come besides me on the bench and take a seat; swinging my head over to the person I was surprised to see Clay here.

'What are you doing here Clay? We don't have practice yet for a couple more hours'

'I thought I might as well come down and see how you spar against Bryce'

'Where are the girls? You normally spend this time with Hannah before we met up for our session'

'Yeah well Hannah and Jessica decided to go to the mall to do some retail therapy'

'And you didn't fancy tagging along with them'

'Not after what happened last time Mason'

'What did you do Clay?' I questioned

'Why do you assume it's my fault all of a sudden'

'Because it's every guy's fault when their girl is upset when they go shopping' I started

'Well you're not wrong there buddy' he sighed deeply. 'Bringing my usual dorky and oblivious self I wasn't giving my girlfriend the compliments and attention she deserved out shopping once. And I'll tell you now I had to do a lot of kissing….'

I raised a brow at Clay suggestively as he soon caught on what he had spilled to me, I knew he would never hurt my sister unintentionally but I didn't want to hear the percific details in their love life

'Making up to do, a lot of making up that's for sure'

'Don't worry Clay I've had my fair share of making up to do in the past'

'You pair of girls done talking or what' Coach Patrick stated impatiently, tapping to the watch on his wrist

I nodded my head and checked the straps on my hand were secured tightly before Clay helped slide on my boxing gloves, he adjusted the velcro straps of the gloves and we then walked over to the boxing ring. Clay and I fisted pumped before I dunked under the middle rope to enter the arena, the rest of the spectators gathered around the sides of the ring

'What are you doing here Jensen? This is a jock only gathering' Justin questioned

'I invited him' I sighed deeply

'So what! We just letting anyone join in now in a team bonding sessions'

'Hey come on now Justin, we're all friends here and if Jensen wants to stay that's cool' Bryce exclaimed

I knew Clay's presence here was having an effect on the baseball team, they couldn't laugh or joke like they normally would back at the clubhouse with an outsider present. Every now and again I stole some glances at Clay and someone on the other side of the ring would be giving him a dirty or snarled look

This so-called team does have plenty of secrets they like to keep amongst themselves and sooner rather than later someone would crack and let something slip. There had got to be more they were hiding from me

'Hey Baker eyes up here' Bryce commanded, seeing where my gaze was at

I had to stay focused on where my fight was at the minute instead of the one that could be brewing outside of the ring between the team and Clay. Bryce held up his hands and waited for me to strike his padded gloves

After a light little flurry of punches on the pads the room was divided for who they were routing for to win in a sparring match; even though no one wins in a sparring session. The loud cheers of Monty and Justin were more audible than most like they were enjoying it when I got hit by Bryce from weak blocks I had given.

'Guys tone it down a bit it's only practise' I proclaimed, averting my gaze to Monty and Justin

'Relax Baker they are only enjoying themselves' Bryce smiled

'A little too much for my liking Walker' I stated. 'It's only sparring anyway, this ain't a real fight'

'Why don't I put on some gloves and make it a real fight Mason' he huffed. 'You want to call be out for a fight then I'm here ready for you'

'I aint back down Walker, go and get some gloves I ain't afraid of you'

I squared you to Bryce and our faces were just inches apart from each other, whoever made the slight little movement between us would set off a mass brawl in the gymnasium. Coach Patrick quickly stepped into the ring and got in the small gap between us and pushed us apart

'Cut it out now the pair of you, we're supposed to be a team remember' he scolded

'Mason started it first I'm only defending myself' Bryce proclaimed

'Then tell your friends to calm down when we're practising, what we do now doesn't mean shit' I informed him. 'Keep them at the clubhouse next time where they belong if they are bored'

'Alright that's enough, you're like a couple of little school kids' Coach Patrick sighed deeply. 'Get back into your corners and return on the count of three'

Bryce and I walked away from each other and went to opposite ends of the ring before turning quickly back around, Coach Patrick had started his count down and slid back out of the ring before he got down to one.

A mischievous smirk fell across Bryce Walker's face as the sparring session began again, this time there was no interruptions from the watching crowd, they would cheer every now and again when I made a knockout punch on the gloves or if Bryce had gotten me when I left myself open to a hit

After much of a slogging match from the pair of us, we found some parts of the sparring session hard to breathe, I kept my arms close to my sides and held my hands in front of my face. Bryce was tiring out from the beating I was giving him but still held himself together impressively

'I'll give you that Baker, you're one hell of a boxer' Bryce praised

'You're not that bad of a partner either'

'This doesn't mean that I like you and we're square

'And here's me thinking that we could be best friends someday'

'Well done boys, another thirty more seconds and we'll call it a day' Coach Patrick yelled out proudly

'Enjoy your fame whilst it last Baker'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'You'll see soon enough' he panted

Coach Patrick picked up a small hammer and struck the bell besides the ring a couple of times to indicate the end of the sparring session. From my stance position I dropped my arms to the sides of my body and out of the corner of my eye I saw Bryce had his still up, without a second to think I felt a sharp smack against my left cheek; nearly sending me to the floor from the brute force

'What the fuck Walker! He rang the bell' I exclaimed angrily

'Sorry dude must have heard it late' he proclaimed, trying to help me upright from the floor

'That's bullshit'

'All right that enough now the pair of you' Coach Patrick huffed

Bryce held up his right handed glove for a fist pump as a mark of respect between boxers, I just glared at him angrily for the cheap shot he had taken and refused to fist bump him, ducking back out under the ropes of the ring I peeled off my gloves from my hands as Clay trailed by my side

'Let's get out of here Clay'

'You don't have to tell my twice' he stuttered

Bryce had slipped out of the ring and was greeted by cheers from his boys on how well he had boxed, Coach Patrick was quick to heap praise on him even after his dirty move and was encouraging the team to come to our practise more often

'Hey Mason' Coach Patrick called out. 'Same time tomorrow ok'

'We'll see coach'

'There's no we'll see Mason, I need to know you're still committed to this'

'Let him have his temper tantrum Coach' Bryce exclaimed. 'I don't think he's done throwing his toys out of the pram yet'

Keeping my head down I tried to not let Bryce Walker get to me more than he already had, he'd be trying anything to get inside my head and cast doubt over my abilities. I grabbed the rest of my belongings out of the locker and made my way back home with Clay, trying to find out if I had made any new enemies amongst the team…..

The next day I had ignored my phone calls from Bryce and Coach Patrick about meeting up tonight for another session, I had fobbed them off with a lame excuse that I had bruised my arm and couldn't punch properly to my injury so I needed to take a couple of days off from training.

Late in the evening I had given Clay a text asking him to meet me down City Gym at eight for a one on one session in the ring, I was down the boxing centre early and was casually chatting to Caleb by the ring about some new boxing combo moves and what had happened yesterday at Liberty

'Do you think it's wise to be having a training session today Mason' Caleb asked

'I doubt Coach Patrick or Bryce are gonna find out I bailed of them to do my own thing'

'Just watch yourself when you cancel of them and then sneak here for a workout'

'Why should I be worried?'

'There was another kid under Coach Patrick's wing a couple of years back and he was just like you, supposedly the next best thing to come out of this town and he was bailing big time on them'

'And then what happened to him?' I asked

'They both found out a year later he was bailing on the days he said he couldn't train and cuts ties with the kid'

'What's the kid's name and where is he now then?'

'I don't know the kid's name. I was a senior at the time but I can ask around a few of my contacts' he informed me. 'Your guess is as good as mine where he is now and I bet he has some good dirt on Walker and Coach Patrick'

'So what? This kid just disappears off the face of the world just like that' I proclaimed, snapping my fingers. 'Never to be seen again'

'Loads of rumours of the kid had been circulating for ages what happened to him but last time anyone saw of him was when a bust up happened on the pregame show on the baseball field'

'Can you remember what was said that night?'

'Coach Patrick pulled him away from the field and that was last anyone saw of him again'

'Shit man, that's serious'

The door to the gym busted open and Clay came panting through in a blurred rush, dropping his things down on the bench whilst removing his t-shirt and slipping on his padded gloves. Clay dipped under the ropes and entered the ring as I soon joined him in the square arena, Caleb hung back and watched from the sidelines as I looked up at the clock on the wall

'Sorry I'm late Mason I lost track of time' he apologised repeatedly

'No problem buddy I was here early anyway'

'So what are we practising tonight Champ'

'I've had enough of sparring I want to work on my footwork and defensive work'

'Ok Mason'

Clay got into an offensive position with his arms held up high and ready to box, I anticipated he would start off with some jabs to work me around the ring before moving onto a right cross punch. With his body fame out wide open I noticed a small purple mark across his neck and was intrigued by it

'What's that on your neck Clay?'

'Oh it's nothing serious Mason' he explained, crocking his neck so he could hide it away from view

'Have you had it checked out buddy I don't want it to turn nasty on you'

'Looks like a lovebite to me' Caleb interjected

'It's nothing really I must hurt myself whilst I was sleeping to cause that mark'

I dropped the subject about the mark on his neck as I just knew who and where it had come from; he wouldn't disclose to us that Hannah had done that to him. Getting into my defensive position I waited for Clay to send his first jab of the night at me….

A gruelling hour and a half later of practising in the ring we were both getting exhausted and the strain was coming to much for our bodies, I knew Clay wanted to throw the towel in ages ago but he kept on carrying on for my sake; I called out for five more minutes from Clay before we could call it a night

The gym was beginning to die down for the night with a few local patrons ending their workout for the night. The doors to the gym open and unfamiliar customer entered the building whilst quickly making their way to us, hoping to catch the last few bits of action

Clay gave one last final flurry of jabs I successfully blocked with my arm and the slip of the body to the sides, Caleb had called time and ended our little workout session as we both went over to our only spectator of our training

'That was really impressive Clay, who taught you to fight like that' Jessica admired

'I've learned from the best' he proclaimed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder

'What are you doing here Jess?' I enquired

'It's Friday night, I'm single and I've got nowhere to be right now'

'Didn't fancy a girls night with Hannah then' I suggested

'We're spending the day together tomorrow' she informed me; Jess looked over to Clay and saw the purple bruise on his neck. 'Nice hickey Clay'

'It's not a hickey Jess' he defended

'Hannah told me she's always wanted to give someone a love bite'

Clay finally caved in and couldn't hold the lie he was trying to keep going after getting suggestive looks from me and Jessica, it was oblivious a fresh bruise because he didn't have it yesterday

'And I so happened to be the lucky victim for her' he blushed, sliding out of the ring to collect his stuff from the bench. 'And on that note I bid you both goodbye, see you guys tomorrow'

Jessica and I waved him goodbye as he returned the gesture and said night to Caleb before leaving the gymnasium, I slid out of the ring and came to Jessica's side whilst I had a quick drink from my water bottle

'So how long did it take to train Clay up to fight like that?'

'Not long Jess he's a fast learner' I proclaimed. 'Do you want to give it a go on the bag?'

'I'm not much of a fighter Mason'

'Your dad is in the military. I'm sure you must have inherited his fighting abilities'

'My dad is just a logistics man for the military'

'Still impressive never the less' I exclaimed. 'I bet you could give one hell of a punch if you tried'

'Alright I'll give it a go Slick but no laughing if I miss the punch bag or fall over '

'I'll hold the bag in front of you Jess so you won't miss sweetheart'

Jessica nodded her head and opted not to wear any gloves and go bare knuckle on the bag as I had got into position behind the bag, I placed my hands on each side of the bag and nodded to her that I was ready for her first punch. She stepped up to the bag and held her arms in close before striking the bag with all her might, surprising me with how much force was behind it

'That's really good Jess'

'You think so' she asked hopefully for my approval

'You sure you haven't boxed before Jess in your life'

'Why would I lie to you Slick' she smiled. 'My dad has given me a few pointers before what to do if I'm getting mugged'

'You should take up boxing you're really good actually'

'Doing boxing isn't my thing but I don't mind watching it, it's really fun to watch it in person'

'Have you ever been to a fight night?'

'Only amateur fights where my dad's buddies were boxing another platoon' she informed me. 'Have you ever been to one?'

'Same here Jess I've only been to amateur nights where a couple of my friends in Nevada fought. I would love to go to a real fight night'

'I've always wanted too as well, maybe we could go together sometime'

'What like a date?' I asked innocently

'Play your cards right Slick and you might get too'

I chuckled at her flirtatious humour and couldn't believe that she liked boxing as well, I wondered what else we might have in common with each other that I wouldn't have guessed from the top of my head…..

Jessica had shown me all her boxing moves her dad had taught her over the years and to say I was impressed wouldn't do her justice. She was a born natural and I bet Jess could give any guy a run for their money in the ring

'Just one more hit Mason then I'm done' she puffed exhaustedly

'Ok Jess give it your best shot' I stated

I pushed the punch bag a little forward and stepped aside from it, on the downswing Jessica clinched her fist and went to strike the bag firmly. From her momentum Jessica's hand had skimmed the bag and landed against my cheek. The same side I had got whacked on purpose by Bryce yesterday

'Oh shit' she exclaimed frantically

'It's fine Jess no damage done' I sighed deeply

Feeling the side of my cheek it stung like hell from her punch but at least it wasn't broken or fractured, Jessica placed her hands on the side of my cheek to check for herself. I was lost looking into her warm chocolate brown eyes and found it hard to pull my gaze away from her

'It's definitely gonna have some bruising around here. Sorry about that Mason' she proclaimed, rubbing her thumb over my cheek

'It comes part and parcel with the sport I kinda do have to expect to get hit every now and again'

'I'm so sorry again Slick'

'It was an accident, nothing more than that I don't want to hear any more apologies Jess'

'At least let me get you some ice then for your cheek' Jess demanded

Jessica helped me down on the bench as she quickly went off to find Caleb and see what first aid equipment he had here at the gym, the last thing I wanted to do tonight is end up in the hospital with her guilt ridden that she put me there by accident

She returned back moments later with an ice pack in her hand and held it up against my cheek, the coolness of the pack against my warm cheek was a welcome delight to the pain forming there. Jessica sat down on the bench opposite me and refused to give me the ice pack as she treated the pain in my check

'I think I'll live Jess' I chuckled softly

'Are you sure you're not in any serious pain Slick'

'I would have told you if I was' I informed her. 'You've done more than enough for me'

'I feel like I can do more you know, maybe take you to the hospital for some real painkillers'

'If you're forgetting my aunt and uncle own a drug store, I'll just take some medication from there if the pain worsens'

'Well at least you can get the best medication anytime you want' she smiled weakly. 'But if you can't wait that long then I hope this heals it faster'

Jessica removed the ice pack from the side of my cheek and placed it gently down on the bench, she leaned in closer so our face were inches apart and softly pressed her lips against my bruised cheek, the contact of her lips helped numb the pain a little from her sweet kiss for how long it was placed there

She pulled her lips away from my cheek and went red in the face from what she had done, to be truthful I was happy that she had done that and I wanted to feel more affection from Jess; knowing it would be just as sweet as that kiss

'You still coming to my fight with Mateo in a couple of weeks' I asked curiously

'Of course I am I wouldn't miss it for the world Slick'

'I'll save you some front row seats then'

'It's not every day this town gets to hold a boxing match for their new hero'

'New hero? I hardly doubt that' I exclaimed

'You want to stick your head out of the window and see how excited this town is getting over you' she smiled. 'See you tomorrow Slick'

'Bye Jess'

We both got up from the bench and acting on a sudden spur of thought racing through my head I wrapped my arms around her tightly, she was shocked by the sudden hug before relaxing into it and holding me firmly back. As Jess had reached the door she turned to give a final wave before leaving City Gym, picking up my gear from the bench I dragged my exhausted body to the locker room to freshen up….

After my shower and freshening myself up in general I was completely oblivious to others around me in the locker room, I didn't notice someone had entered the room until they had tapped my shoulder to gain my attention before slamming me up against the locker. Justin Foley had a raged look across his face as he kept a clustered fist against my t-shirt

'What the hell Foley' I questioned

'What was Jessica doing here with you?' he demanded

'In case you have forgotten pea brain, you two are no longer dating' I stated sarcastically. 'Whatever Jess was doing here is none of your business'

'Does Bryce or Coach Patrick know you come down here for secret boxing sessions?'

'So you're trying to blackmail me now' I sighed deeply. 'She's moved on from you, take a hint and do the same as well'

'You know you're really full of it don't you' Justin snorted, shaking his head

Justin held up his fist and went to strike me across the face, I slid my head to the side instantly and heard the sound of Justin's fist slammed against the wooden locker door, cracking a few bones in his hand against the robust material

'Look I don't know what you're problem is with me Justin but leave me alone'

'Bryce was right about you all along'

'And would care to enlighten me?'

'You'll be nothing but the next Bobby Reid' he admitted resentfully

'Who' I questioned, having no idea who that could be at all

'It's doesn't matter anyway'

'I feel like it does matter now Foley, who is he?'

'I've said too much anyway for you to be snooping around now'

The door to the locker room burst wide open and Caleb entered the male changing area, he was surprised to see another student from Liberty High school here as most of his customers were college kids and gym/boxing fanatics. Caleb seemed to recognise him quite quickly and huffed loudly as he was about to lose his cool

'I thought I told you and your friends that you're barred from here' he exclaimed

'I was catching up with a friend Caleb' Justin pointed out

'Is that right Mason' he questioned, raising a brow

'Just leave Foley and don't ever come back here again'

Justin bobbed his head and left the locker room with a smirk plastered across his face, not before shoulder barging past Caleb on the way out of the gymnasium. No doubt his first port of call would be to Bryce's outhouse to relay back any news that he must have witnessed outside of the gym to him

'Anything happened in here Mason' Caleb asked, patting the side of my arm

'Not much really' I stated, picking up my belongings from my locker

'Come on, I'll drive you home'

I nodded my head and followed Caleb out of City Gym to his car that was parked on the other side of the road. He had informed me that before in the past Bryce and his close knit friends would stalk and harass new members on the jock teams here and that's why he had them banned.

I wasn't sure if I should tell him the name that Justin Foley had let slip in the locker room to me. Caleb might not even know the guy since he was a senior at the time but there was one person who might know who he is. I would ask Clay tomorrow if he knew a Bobby Reid since he was in the same school year as Justin Foley…...


	16. Chapter 16

As soon as I arrived back home after being escorted by Caleb, I said my greetings to my Aunt and Uncle for the night before making my way to my bedroom to catch up on some much needed sleep

In the hallway of the house I bumped into Clay Jensen who was leaving out of Hannah's bedroom, he went red in the face from embarrassment that he had been caught by me when he left City Gym in a hurry. Hannah dipped her head and rest her forehead against his arm

'So what was the big emergency then Hannah that you needed Clay' I asked curiously

'Oh it was nothing important Slick' she stated

'Only Jess gets to call me that and besides Jess told me that you've always wanted to give someone a lovebite, I see you've been practicing well on Clay'

'Did she?' Hannah exclaimed, pulling out her phone from her sleeping shorts. 'That reminds me, I need to text her about tomorrow. Come on Helmet I'll show you out'

Hannah had practically shoved Clay down the corridor of the house to the front door, Clay said his goodbyes to the two older Bakers hurriedly before stepping out of the house and onto the landing with Hannah in the cool dark night.

She came back into the house a few moments later with her cheeks puffed red, Hannah had bite her lips seductively as she was typing a text message, I knew she was texting Clay as she had developed a habit of biting her lips when I've had asked her before in the past who she was on the phone too when we were watching a movie together.

'What' she asked kindly, with.a small smile on her face

'I've never seen you this happy before in my life' I exclaimed. 'You really love Clay don't you'

'I've never been so sure in my life about anything but the one thing I am sure of, no other guy will ever get the same amount of love I have for Helmet'

'He must be one lucky guy then'

'He sure is Mason' she replied. 'Night'

Hannah had dipped into her room for the night and closed her bedroom door quietly. I pushed open the door to mine and throw my bag onto the desk chair, dropping down onto the bed I pulled out my phone from my gym shorts and opened up some of the social media apps

I decided to look for Bobby Reid on Twitter then on Facebook with no luck or results with that name at all. Deciding to try Instagram with a few hashtags of Liberty High School I managed to find a few videos of that baseball match where it got heated between Bobby and Bryce and a small scuffle broke out

The small videos belonged to Sheri Holland and Mrs Lynn, they would be my first port of call tomorrow to know more about Bobby Reid and where he might be now…

My alarm clock buzzed loudly as usual at six o'clock in the morning much to my annoyance, changing into my running gear and placing a stop watch on my wrist. I quietly left the house trying not to wake up the others, I waited at the end of my street block for Clay to show up as he hadn't arrived yet

Five minutes later Clay showed up at the end of my block whilst we did our new signature handshake, we started our daily five mile run around the town as daybreak had dawned the sky with beautiful colours

Clay and I reached the outskirts of the town and I decided now would be a perfect moment to ask him about Bobby Reid. Dropping back in my running pace I matched Clay's speed, clearing my throat I gained Clay's attention as he was in his running zone

'Can I ask you something about your freshman year at Liberty?'

'Yeah ask away Mason' he stated. 'What's on your mind'

'Do you remember a person in your year group called Bobby Reid'

'Very vaguely why' he questioned

'It's something Justin said to me last night at City Gym and it's really got to me'

'Why were you meeting up with Justin Foley anyway? I thought you two hated each other guts'

'I don't hate him Clay I just don't like the guy' I stated. 'Besides he came in looking for me, Justin said I would be the next Bobby Reid. I don't understand what he meant by that'

'Bobby was just your typical jock at any high school, yes he was loud and charming but he was one of the good ones like Jeff'

Clay had told me about one of the jocks that he had befriended when he was assigned to be his tutor at the school as a student teach student programme they had set up. God knows how he feels whenever he thinks about Jeff, that memory from that night of being the first ones to find him in that car wreck must still haunt him

'The last time I saw him was on the baseball field when he went up to Bryce on home base, they had to be pulled apart from each other'

'Then what happened to him Clay'

'That's anyone's guess to be honest, Bobby was never to be seen again around Liberty High or in the state in fact'

'That leaves me with no choice but to ask Sheri and Mrs Lynn what they know about that day on the baseball field'

'If you are gonna be digging up all the dirt on Bobby Scooby Doo, then I suggest you pay a visit to Tyler Down as well' Clay exclaimed. 'He was a photographer that day and was down close by third base for pictures, you know how that famous saying goes don't you?'

'A picture is worth a thousand words' I replied back

'Bingo' he smiled weakly. 'You can find him in the dark room at Liberty, Tyler spends most of his time there during most days'

'Thanks for the inside knowledge Clay. Just keep this between us ok I don't want other people knowing what I'm trying to find out'

'My lips are sealed' he puffed, mimicking his mouth a zip and pulling the cord down the chain. 'That reminds me, have you got a suit for the winter formal that's coming up in a few weeks'

'The winter what?'

'It's this dance that happens every year at the start of the first friday in December'

'So it a bit of a tradition at the school' I asked

'Liberty High has had it every year since the school was first built way back in the nineteen twenties' he informed me. 'So are you gonna come to the dance?'

'I don't really have a date for the dance and I don't fancy third wheeling behind you and my little sister'

'What about Jess' he suggested

'What about her Clay' I questioned, raising a brow

'Ask her to the dance Mason, you've still got plenty of time if you want to do a grand gesture'

'I don't know about that. We'd only be causing a scene turning up to the dance together when we've been telling everyone we're not a thing'

'When did you start to care about what people think of you' he stated. 'It's not like you two did anything wrong to turn up together, you're both single and free remember'

'You really think I should just go for it and ask Jess to the dance then'

'Do it before you miss your chance Mason, that's all I'm saying'

I nodded my head and weighed up his advice on what I should do regarding Jess and the dance, why should I care what people think if I ask Jessica to be my date for it. Clay and I carried on with our early morning run and decided to head back for home once we had reached the top of the mountain road that overlooked the town, everything just seems to be so peaceful up here and I would love to show Jess this place someday…..

I don't know how they had managed it but Hannah and my Aunt Liv had persuaded me to tag along with them in going to the mall to buy Hannah a dress for the winter dance. I don't know how my advice would be any good to them as I no clue about dress shopping or what styles Hannah liked

We entered a few boutiques to find what Hannah was looking for but nothing really stood out for her that she might consider to try on. Aunt Liv went down an aisle on her own to see if she could find something for her daughter to wear to the dance

Hannah and I went to another section of the store to browse their selection, pulling out dresses from the rail to get her opinion, she was feeling flustered by all the colours and designs on choice

'What type of dress are you looking for Hannah'

'I want something special to surprise Helmet, this is our first dance together as a couple'

'So why have you dragged me here and not Clay'

'I don't want Helmet to see anything' she explained. 'I want it to be a nice surprise for him when he sees me in it'

'Clay wouldn't care if you turned up to the winter formal in just your usual black boots, green army jacket and your woolly hat. He would love you for being you, not what you wear Hannah'

'I know I'm just being paranoid about this dance, I just want it to go perfectly compared to last year nightmare show'

'And it will go perfectly Hannah, a whole lot has changed between last year and now. You got me, Jessica and Clay now by your side, life may not be perfect right now but it's whole lot better right'

Hannah nodded her head and wrapped her arms around me tightly, burying her face in the side of my chest. I looped my arms around my little sister and kissed the top of her head. Aunt Liv came back to us moments later with a few dresses in her arm and was concerned at what she saw before her

'Is everything ok here Hannah' Aunt Liv asked

'Everything is fine mom' Hannah assured her

'Just a little brother sister bonding that's all'

'Even tho you've been apart from us for years Mason, nothing has changed between the two of you'

Aunt Liv was in awe seeing how close her daughter and nephew were, people would often mistaken us for brother and sister back home in Nevada. Hannah had taken a couple of dresses out from her mother's arm and went over to the changing rooms

After much deliberation of the two dresses that Hannah and Aunt Liv loved we had decided to get the both of them for Hannah and it would be up to her what to wear when the big day came of the dance. Walking out of the store the two woman wanted to get some makeup and accessories from a store on the other side of the mall

'You sure you don't want to get a new suit now Babe since were here' Aunt Liv asked

'Clay has asked me to go suit shopping with him next week so I'll just get mine when I go with him'

'If you're sure babe'

She had told me to take her credit card when I decided to buy my suit for the dance, I thanked her and told my aunt she didn't have to do that for me but I was grateful at the offer nevertheless

Walking past the food court section of the mall I heard someone call out my name behind me, scanning the surrounding areas I found where the voice had come from. I said my goodbyes to my aunt and sister before walking over to the table where the voice had come from

Jessica was sitting at the table with Sheri Holland and Chloe Rice, a couple of the girls from the cheer squad. The three girls greeted me warmly as I sat down in the an empty quarter of the circular table, before I had the chance to speak Sheri and Chloe got up from the table and left the two of us alone

'Well that was weird Jess' I exclaimed. 'You sure you didn't plan this'

'Plan what' she smiled, raising a brow

'Calling me over and then your friends leaving as soon as I sit down'

'As if I would play silly childhood games' Jess proclaimed. 'Anyway I hadn't seen you in a while and I wanted to say hey'

'Well hey' I greeted, nodding my head and trying to play slick with her

Jessica just giggled at my usual attempt to play cool with her, no matter what smooth line I would come up with and pronounce it nothing would ever work on her. She was definitely by kryptonite

'So what are you doing here at the mall with Hannah and your aunt?'

'I was lured into coming here and helping Hannah find the perfect dress for the upcoming dance'

'Oh crap I forget' She gasped. 'That dance is only a few weeks away'

'There's still plenty of time to get something sorted by then Jess' remembering Clay's words from this morning run

'Easy for you boys to say, all you got to do is get a suit or a tux and slap on a bit of hair gel then you're ready. Us girls have got way loads of planning to do before the big night comes'

'From what you have told me I thought you weren't too bothered about going to the winter formal this year'

'I'm keeping my options open' Jessica stated. 'What's your sudden interest in the dance, you haven't brought it up before'

'I thought I'd see what the big fuss is about for myself' I informed her. 'Would you care to join me'

'Are you asking me to the dance?'

I wasn't sure if I should tell her that I am, in my head I pictured myself asking her at her home with a couple of roses in my hand and a sign with my intention on it. Now would be a good time as any instead second doubts creeping into my mind. 'Yes I am'

'Well I don't know what to say Slick'

'Don't say anything Jess' I stated. 'Will you be my date to the winter formal dance Jessica?'

'Yes I will Mason' she smiled happily

'That's amazing I'd thought you would say no'

'Like I said all options are open this year'

We started discussing plans for the upcoming dance if we should colour match our clothes for it or not, trying not to give the wrong impression that we were a couple. Things were a still bit early on that front to try and pursue Jessica after her break up with her ex-boyfriend only a few weeks ago

I asked Jessica how close she was to Sheri Holland and how well did she know the girl, she told me they had been the bestest of friends when Jessica joined the cheerleading squad at the start of the school year. She had also told me Sheri wasn't like the other girls on the team and was actually nice and a friendly face to talk to kind of person, I would have to test the theory out for myself tomorrow…

After finally managing to track Sheri down to the clubhouse during a free study period, I walked through the dense and overgrown greenland where the house of horrors stood. A very audible noise was coming from it when I reached closer to the building, a familiar sound this building was a little custom too; my mind dreading the worse what could be happening in there

I slightly pushed open the front door ajar so I could peak inside the place, the noise was what I thought it would be but the question was it consensual or a rape being committed in here.

Sheri Holland was naked from the waist down and was straddling someone's lap, I couldn't make out who was underneath her as their face was buried into Sheri's chest

'Keep going Justin' she moaned in pleasure. 'I think I'm going to cum'

'Oh fuck you're amazing Sheri'

I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing before my very eyes, a close friend of Jessica's whom she regarded quite highly as a best friend was sleeping with her ex-boyfriend. Feeling like a creep just stood behind the door watching them I made my presence known to the pair

Closing the door with a loud thud it startled the life out of Justin and Sheri, they both had gotten off each other and started to reassemble some of their clothing. Justin pulled up his jean pants and grabbed his bag off the floor besides the couch, quickly saying goodbye to Sheri before awkwardly leaving past me without looking at me in the eye

'It's not what you think Mason' Sheri tried to explain

'You don't have too explain yourself to me Sheri, it's not my business who you decide to fuck'

'I know but nothing can get out what happened between me and Justin ok, it has to stay amongst us three' She exclaimed. 'I know how close you are to Jessica and how your practically besties'

'My lips are sealed Sheri and what benefit do I get out of telling Jess who's Justin is screwing, they are over each other'

'Yeah you'd think so'

Sheri had finished cleaning herself up and pulled back up her panties along with her jeans that had been descared to the floor. She had turned on the couch and faced me as I walked near to her and sat down in a reclining chair

'What are you even doing here Mason?' she enquired

'Club members are free to come here anytime they choose too'

'But this is the time of day that Justin and I sneak here to be alone' She explained. 'How would you know to find me here right now'

'That's doesn't really matter Sheri' I sighed deeply, silently thanking Vincent for that inside piece of news. 'I need to ask you about some things that are really important'

'Ok what kind of things?' Sheri questioned, raising a brow

'Something happened on our baseball field a couple of years back and you managed to capture something on video'

'I don't know which baseball game you're on about Mason. I've attended them all as a cheerleader or as a spectator so you're gonna have to be more specific'

'The game where Bobby Reid was last seen on that baseball field'

'I'm sorry Mason I can't really tell you much about that game'

'You can't tell me or you won't tell me or is it that you don't remember that game at all' I questioned

'If Bryce or Monty knew that I've said something to you then this is the last time you'll be seeing me around'

'Is it that serious Sheri what they have done to him' I asked. 'I won't say anything to them to make them think you've talked to me about Bobby. You got to trust me on that'

'I'll tell you what I know Mason but only on one condition' she instructed. 'Just promise nothing will happen to me, I fear for my life already as it is before you started stirring things up with the jocks'

'I promise Sheri' I assured her 'Nothing will happen to you, whatever you decide to tell me will stay between us'

'Liberty and Hillcrest were fighting it out for the baseball title on the final day of the season, both teams were level on runs going into the last innings. We had managed to get Hillcrest all out level on runs and we started our last innings when it all kicked off'

'Then what happened Sheri?'

'Bryce was on plate and ready to bat, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary so far. Then Bobby comes out of nowhere with a baseball bat in his hands ready to swing at Bryce, things got heated and everyone struggled to keep them apart as both teams broke out into a fight soon after'

'Jesus what else happened after that'

'Coach Patrick got involved and dragged Bobby away from the field and back into the school, the referee called a break in the game for an hour and for both teams to be separated. Bobby Reid was never to be seen after that again'

'And you have no idea where he is?'

'Even if I did know where he was I wouldn't tell anyone where to find him no matter how much I trusted them'

'Was something going on between the two of you' i exclaimed, raising a brow

'We did go out for a little while before breaking things off and staying as close friends, if I phone his number it's just a discontinued line now so I can't even get in contact with him let alone know if he's alive'

I nodded my head and understood her worries about a close friend to her, if anything was to happen to any of my close family or friends and they went suddenly missing I would be calling their number in hope everyday that they would pick up my call

'Thanks for tell what you know Sheri when you could have told me nothing at all, I appreciate all your help'

'If you ever find him again Mason will you get him to get back in contact with me'

'Will do'

I got up from the couch and left Sheri alone to get herself sorted out and clean up her appearance like nothing had happened in here. Making my way back to the library I stayed in there for the rest of free period to finish off some papers I was writing for a couple of my classes…

The school day had been done and the halls were quieting down with kids leaving for the nearest exit possible, some had gone to their lockers to grab books or leave some personal belongings behind. I had grabbed my books that I would need tonight for my papers and then met up with Clay and Hannah outside of their lockers

'You still coming over tonight Helmet?' Hannah enquired

'Yeah I am Babe I just need to finish off a few assignments at home'

'Babe?' I questioned. 'I've never heard you call Hannah that before'

'Well there's a lot you don't know about our relationship'

Clay wrapped an arm around his girlfriend and we started to make our way down the hall to meet Jessica at her class as she hadn't come out yet. Bryce and a few of his jocks pals lingered in the hallway on the opposite wall as we came past, making snarky comments about anyone who would come past their sight of view

'Here comes Hannah big butt with her scrawny ass boyfriend' Monty remarked cruelly. 'With a body like that she needs a real man to fuck her good'

'You don't know what I would give to fuck her again that's a pussy to die for' Bryce smirked, licking his lips

The group of athletic jocks kept a small laughter amongst themselves as we came past, Hannah wrapped her arm around her boyfriend's waist and whispered into Clay's ear to calm him down and not to react to Bryce's cruel comments, without even realising it I had clenched my right hand fist and Hannah had noticed the sudden movement of my hand, she had dropped her hand and enveloped it around my closed fist

'Please Mason just let it go' she pleaded. 'Let's just get Jess and go to Monet's'

'Ok Hannah' I nodded my head

'Didn't you hook up with Jessica Davis at her party at the end of summer?' Monty stated, saying anything to yank my chain

'I would never hook up with one of my brother's girlfriends but if she made a pass I wouldn't say no if you catch my drift' Bryce proclaimed. 'She's a right freak in bed I'm telling you, that's another girl I would love to have a round two with such a tight body to fuck'

I couldn't take it anymore from the false statements Bryce was feeding to his friends about his encounters with two of the closest girls in my life, making it sound it was consensual like he had done nothing wrong when he raped them brutally and broke both of their souls. I pulled away from Hannah's gasp, much to her horror and marched over to the rest of the jocks…


	17. Chapter 17

My senses had hit an all time high and I didn't hear the cries from Hannah or Clay to come back and just let it go. The jocks were publicly out to ruin Jessica and Hannah's reputation even further and I couldn't just stand by and let it happen before my very eyes

Monty, Scott and Oscar had crowded around in front of Bryce to protect him from any punches I would throw towards him. I didn't care if I had to fight my way through them to get to Walker, they all needed to pay for what they had said and done in my eyes

'Just go home Baker we're only having a laugh' Monty proclaimed, placing a hand on my shoulder and pushing me away

'Shut the fuck up and stop talking about Jessica and Hannah' I roared loudly

'Whatever the problem is brother let's just talk about it outback' Scott suggested

'I aint your brother'

Oscar was piping up to say something next as he made his way to be in front of me, I was done talking to them and I just wanted my fist to say what needed to be said. Natural instincts just kicked into my body and everything just became silent in the hall, I didn't hear what Oscar was saying but I saw his lips smacking each other; probably some bullshit about brotherhood and being a family as the jocks would always suggest

Bringing my fist up I struck powerfully first into the cheek of Oscar that had silenced and pushed him into a state of shock, Scott had caught his friend from the punch and pulled him to one side so I couldn't do anymore damage to him. Monty and Bryce stopped leaning against the lockers and were getting ready to fight next

'You sure you want to do this buddy?' Monty asked

I didn't bother answering his question and decided to give him the same beat down I had delivered to Oscar to shut him up. Monty had charged towards me and decided to go low as usual and take me down by the legs, I held my ground and was surprised by his strength for someone so thin in body statue, gripping him by his letterman jacket I pushed him back up against the lockers and held him in place by my right fist before landing a knockout punch with my left hook

'That's enough now Baker' Bryce ordered, helping his friend back up to his feet

'We're only just getting started' I exclaimed. 'Isn't this the fight you've always wanted?'

'You want to do this now'

'Do you see me backing down?' I questioned, squaring up to him in the hallway

Bryce just smirked and like a flash of lighting I didn't anticipate him making the first move and delivering a sharp uppercut to the chin. I felt unsteady from the killer shot and I just charge at him, natural instinct kicked in to just keep on fighting instead of stopping and acknowledging I was out matched against him

I was caught in a grappling match with Bryce as each of us fought to have the upper hand and pin the other down to have the advantage point, I threw out a couple of combination knockout punches and had Bryce where I wanted him on the ground. Standing over his body I continued to punch him in the face till the blood from his lips covered the tile floor

'Mason' a shrivelled voice called behind me

A small crowd had gathered around me and the rest of the jocks that I had started a fight with, the look of horror and disappointment lingered in Jessica, Hannah and Clay's face from my actions. I know I had let them down but most importantly myself when I shouldn't have escalated the violence when they were just wind up merchants looking for a reaction from any sucker that would stoop down to their level

Principal Bolan, Vice Principal Childs and Mr Porter had all come rushing out of the offices to try and break up the fight. Mr Bolan and Mr Porter had helped Bryce off the floor and acted like a blockade between us whilst Vice Principal Childs had ushered the crowds of people to just go home

Clay suggested the idea of walking Jessica home so no other jocks on the way home could harass her about what just happened. Hannah was adamant of not leaving my side and was willing to wait till I was allowed to go home.

'The rest of you in my office now' Principle Bolan commanded loudly

The three adults escorted myself and the rest of the jocks that were involved in my little burst up that I caused to the reception area, they had split us up into separate areas of reception so there wasn't a repeat performance in here. Hannah had made her way to the reception area and after much pleading with Vice Principal Childs she was allowed to stay by my side as she pulled up a seat next to me

'You should really have gone home with Clay and Jess, I can sort out my own mess Hannah'

'I'm not leaving you ok Mason'

'I'll be fine Hannah'

The pain was throbbing in my right hand and I wanted nothing more than an ice pack right now to numb the pain away and wait for the swelling to go down. My left hand clutched the right and I just knew I was going to lose a couple of days of practise down the gym for the upcoming fight with Mateo, I sighed heavily in disbelief that I could be so stupid to let idiots wind me up to the point of inflection more pain onto myself, I needed to remember I came here for a fresh start but yet nothing seemed to have changed

'Does your hand still hurt Mason?' Hannah asked

'Only a little'

'Give it here Mason' Hannah ordered

I dropped my right hand into my little sister's lap as she had caressed my bruised limb, Hannah had reached into her pocket to pull out a clean tissue to wipe away the blood that had lingered on my skin, the bruising was becoming more visible by the minute and the pain was excruciating but Hannah brought up my hand to her mouth and softly kissed my knuckles

'Any better?' she asked hopefully

'A lot better thank you' I smiled gratefully. 'Your kisses did always make the pain go away faster'

'You and Teddy always did have cuts and bruises on you whenever I came over to play when we were little kids. I'd give anything to go back and have one more day of fun together'

'I would too Hannah, everything just seemed so easier back then didn't it'

'It sure did Mason' Hannah replied. 'You know I don't condone you fighting anyone without a valid reason but thank you for sticking up for me and Jessica and putting a stop on them talking about us. It makes me feel sick when they are twisting theirs words over what really happened'

'You're welcome'

Hannah lifted up my hand again and gently placed another kiss to my knuckles, she kept our hands together in her lap and intertwined our fingers together as we waited patiently to be called up to the principal's office to give our story of the events of what really happened….

Three quarters of an hour had flown by in the office and as expected nothing had happened to Bryce and his small crew of friends, they had all been let off the hook as they didn't start the fight but had been given a stern talking to about publicly stating their sexual encounters with fellow students. I on the other hand was no so lucky with the punishment handed to me by Principale Bolan, Thanks to Hannah and Mr Porter I was given a two day suspension from school considering Vice Principal Childs wanted to give me a whole week after I had broken our agreement to not start another fight on school campus

Liberty High School had phoned Aunt Liv to come and pick up her daughter and nephew from the school and had told her an incident had occurred, she was fully informed by Mr Bolan what went down an hour ago. It was safe to say the drive back to Baker's Drugstore had become an awkward journey as the car was filled with utter silence

The Jeep had pulled up outside the store and I was dreading what thoughts must be going through Aunt Liv's mind, Hannah and I didn't dare to move a muscle in the car whilst we waited for Aunt Liv to do or say something next

'Babe can you go and help your dad in the store, we'll be right there in a minute'

'Ok mom'

Hannah had slid out of the back passenger seat door of the Jeep, we watched as she greeted her father in the store and helped service some customers that were waiting in a queue. Aunt Liv removed her seat belt and turned in her driver seat to give me her full attention

'What's going on with you Mason?' she asked kindly

'Nothing Aunt Liv'

'Don't tell me nothing when the school phoned me to come and pick you and Hannah up' she scolded. 'Why did you start a fight with that Walker kid and his friends?'

'Because….' I stuttered, I wanted nothing more than to just tell her that Hannah and Jessica had been raped and they were making vulgar comments and were alluding to another version of events for the two young women. 'I can't really say why'

'Why can't you tell me sweetie? Have those boys got something on you?'

'Because it's not my place to tell you why. When everything does come out in the open just believe the victims that come forward'

'You're being so vague with me, who are these victims? I don't understand what you're on about'

'There's a few in this town already that I know about and there's gonna be more I just know it'

'I thought we had a deal Mason when I let you come stay with us permanently, There would be no more secrets kept between us anymore'

'I know what we had agreed too and I'm sorry for being so secretive with you Aunt Liv' I explained. 'Believe me I don't want to be like this with you but I haven't really got a choice'

'You do have a choice Mason just tell me what's going on and we can sort it out together'

'I really can't Aunt Liv I'm sorry'

'Fine you keep your secrets Mason but I want a whole attitude adjustment out of you in the next two days' she exclaimed. 'You've got plenty of time to think about your actions and the consequences they have'

'Are you going to tell Uncle Andy what happened today'

'What he doesn't know can't hurt him babe'

'Surely he is going to ask questions why you had to pick me up today and why I'm laying around the house for the next two days whilst Hannah is going to school'

'We may be your aunt and uncle but you are my responsibility Mason, I promised my sister that I would take care of you and a little white lie didn't hurt anyone'

'Thanks Aunt Liv for being so understanding and covering for me to Uncle Andy, I promise I'll try to change for you'

'Just don't go and make it a habit of getting suspended, you had enough trouble with your old school'

I nodded my head as we got out of the Jeep and came to the sidewalk, looking through the windows of the store I noticed Uncle Andy was trying to figure out what we had been talking about. Needing to clear my mind I told Aunt Liv I would be going on a walk to Eisenhower Park before heading home for the day

Whilst on my walk to the park I needed to see Jessica some point today or tomorrow and apologise for what she must have seen, I just needed to explain to her why I had lashed out at Bryce and the rest of the other jocks. I had only done it to defend her and Hannah's honour from the lies that were being spoken

Being lost in my thoughts in the open green space I had come across the playground area of the park, a small family were enjoying the jungle gym whilst they laughed and chased each other, on closer inspection I recognised a familiar face in the small family that I see most days of the week

'Hi Mason' Mrs Lynn smiled and waved

'Hey Mrs Lynn' I greeted my homeroom teacher warmly

'We're not in school right now Mason so you don't have to call me Mrs, call me by my first name in social hours'

'Ok Jennifer' I replied, it still felt weird to call my teacher by her first name in public

'How are your hands?' she enquired

I was kinda surprised that she knew about that when she wasn't on school campus when the fight had occurred. I guess word must travel fast when you're a teacher when one of your kids are involved in a fight

'They are ok I guess, no real damage done just a little bruising and swelling'

'Well make sure to get some ice on your hands soon, I mean I don't have to tell you with your boxing history'

I chuckled lightly as Jennifer must have heard about the countless times I talked with Clay about boxing combinations and hand injuries during homeroom. A small toddler had come down the slide sat in her father's lap and rushed over to her mother, I looked in awe at the little girl whilst she placed kisses on Jennifer's cheek, her husband walked over and took the little girl in his arms as they walked around the playground to entertain the girl

'She's a real cute kid Mrs'

'Thanks Mason'

Jennifer's smile had dropped an inch and I noticed the look of shame and regret creep amongst her face, keeping her gaze down to the ground and avoiding eye contact with me. I dread to think what inner demons she was keeping to herself

'Is everything all right Jennifer'

'Can I confide with you about something Mason' she asked

'I guess so'

She ushered us over to a nearby bench near the playground so Jennifer could keep a watchful on her daughter and husband. Whatever weight she was carrying it must have been huge when I mentioned her daughter that her smile dropped.

'What I'm about to tell you must stay strictly confidential ok'

It seems I have turned into everyone's secret keeper, at the rate I'm going at there soon won't be a need for therapists in this town with all the secrets coming out. 'Ok Jennifer'

'I am so glad that you gave Bryce a good hiding in the hallway'

'I'd thought you would be disappointed in me, your always saying to use our words instead of our fists'

'Well he's the exception to the rule; Bryce needs to know his actions do have consequences'

'Has Bryce done something to you Jennifer?'

'When I was his homeroom teacher freshman year and I held him back for a detention, it was that moment he decided to make me pay for it' she explained. 'We were alone in the classroom and that's where he decided to raped me'

I couldn't believe what I was hearing and it just shocked me to my core, Bryce didn't care where he raped and humiliated his victims

'I am so sorry that he did that to you Jennifer, You and no other girls should have gone through that'

'And the worst part of it was that weeks later I fell pregnant by Bryce'

'Is she?' I asked, looking over to the little girl that was playing on the swings with her dad

'Bryce is her father' Jennifer admitted sadly

'Does your husband know about any of this, that you were raped or who her real father is'

'Richard knows everything and is willing to be a father to my little girl. I told him how I conceived the child and what Bryce had done to me'

'Have you gone to the police to report what had happened to you' I asked

'There's no point in doing that and Richard understands my decision' she exclaimed. 'We all know the Walker family will happily pay to silence the victims off'

'But that should never be the easy way out for rapist like Bryce, they have to pay for what they have done'

'You probably know yourself Mason we live in a society where the rich are untouchable and the victims like myself, it's always our fault'

I reached over and placed my hand over my homeroom teacher for comfort, gently squeezing her hand as she could suggest such a thing. 'What he did to you was not your fault Jennifer, it's never your fault'

'Thank you Mason'

We continued to talk on the bench and now I understood why Jennifer took a year off work with stress and anxiety before coming back at fall of this year. She was mentally preparing herself what to do or say if she had run into Bryce in the hallways, luckily that situation hadn't happened yet for her

I could only admire Richard more for supporting his wife during a difficult moment in her life and the selfless act of raising a child knowing it wasn't his and a by-product of rape. A horrible thought raced through my mind and it probably hadn't occurred to the girls yet, had they taken a pregnancy test yet….

On the way over to Jessica's house I still couldn't get my head around the fact that Bryce was a father, who knows how many women he got pregnant on accident and how many kids he has right now; Bryce was probably unaware himself of his fatherhood.

Walking up the porch of the house and ringing the doorbell I waited patiently for Jessica to answer the door. A few moments passed by and I was convinced after what happened today she didn't want to see me.

As I turned away from the door and was preparing to leave the Davis's household the front door creaked open, Jessica stopped hiding behind the door and come out onto the porch

'Hey Jess can we talk?' I asked kindly

'Sure'

She nodded her head and stepped out of the doorway so I could enter the house to talk in private, Jessica followed cautiously behind me and I walked into her living room and sat down on her couch, Jessica held back from me and sat opposite me on the other couch; she was obviously still shaken up and was having doubts if she really did know me

'I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what you might have saw in the hallway today'

'You don't have to explain it to me Mason, Clay told me everything on the walk home I understand why you did it'

'You do know that Bryce and Monty were making fun of you and Hannah'

'I just got to let it go because there's no point in stooping down to their level, what benefit would I get out of making someone feel like I do? it wouldn't make me feel better about myself'

'Well I'm sorry again for lashing out for you and Hannah, I was only trying to defend both of your honour' I sighed heavily. 'Can I ask you something Jess?'

'Yeah anything Mason' she assured

'Are you afraid of me'

'Why would you ask a silly question like that?'

'I just need to know Jess' I pleaded

'No Slick I'm not afraid of you and I never will be. I know that you like to box and wouldn't fight anyone if you absolutely need to' Jessica admitted. 'I trust you with my life if I had too, what I know about you from myself, Hannah and Clay doesn't scare me at all'

'Then why are you sat over there if you trust me like you say you do'

'Because my dad will be home soon from picking up my brothers. He's set a rule that I'm not allowed to bring boys back home with his permission'

'Is that the real reason' I asked, raising a brow

Jessica got up from the her couch and walked around the coffee table before sitting down close to me, our tight touching each other's as she placed both of her hands on my cheeks and drew my gaze towards her; Jessica leaned forward and pressed her lips against my cheek softly

'Yes it is Slick, believe me when I say I'm not afraid of you if anything I lov…'

Jessica didn't have the chance to finish her sentence when the front door lock rattled and swung open. The cheers of two young boys filled the house as they were glad to be home after a long school day

'Jess honey are you home' A male voice called out

We didn't have time to react as the door to the living burst open as her father stood there, looking for his little girl in the house. The look on the male face changed when he saw me sat next to his daughter

'Who is that Honey?' he asked curiously

'This is a friend from school dad'

I got up from the couch and walked around Jessica to get to the man, placing out my hand Jessica's father shook it firmly and gripped my hand tightly, I could feel my hand going numb

'It's nice to meet you sir' I greeted politely

'You too son' he replied, letting go of my hand. 'What was your name again I don't think I got it'

'It's Mason sir, Mason Baker'

'That surname sounds familiar to me any relation to Hannah Baker, the family that owns a drug store in the town'

'She's my cousin and that is my aunt and uncle's shop'

'I've never seen you around the neighbourhood before or with Hannah, are you staying with them'

'Dad' Jessica interjected. 'Stop interrogating Mason, he's a guest in this house'

'Honey I'm just asking the boy a question. Do you mind me asking these questions Mason?'

'I don't mind at all sir'

'See the boy doesn't mind at all, I'm hardly interrogating him at all'

'Well I do mind dad' Jessica proclaimed. 'Come on Slick I'll see you out now'

'Well it was nice meeting you sir'

'You too Mason'

Mr Davis held out his hand for me to shake again which I did back, we both gave each other a weak smile as I was being pushed out of the living room by Jess. Mr Davis cleaned his throat and I just had a feeling he wanted to ask another question before I left his property

'Oh Mason' Mr Davis called out

Much to Jessica's annoyance I turned on my heels and faced Mr Davis, he came out of the living room and into the hallway of the house

'I was just wondering if you would like to come over and have dinner with us sometime soon'

'Oh I don't know about that'

'We could get to know each other better and Jessica hardly lets me get to know her friends, so it would be nice to finally meet some'

'Sure why not'

'Well that's great then, sometime next week perhaps'

I nodded my head at the arrangement that had been made and there seemed to be no way out of it, even if I declined next week I'm sure Mr Davis would insist on it happening let alone turning up at my house for a family dinner unexpectedly

Jessica saw me out of her home and promised that she would call at some point tonight, I forget to bring up the issue if she or Hannah had done a pregnancy test yet but I would ask them when I next saw them together…..

Fifteen minutes later I arrived back home and unlocked the front door, seeing Hannah and Clay cuddled up on the couch together watching a movie with a pizza box on the coffee table

The movie was coming to an end but the time I had grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and sat down on the adjacent couch

'Everything all sorted with Jess' Clay enquired

'Yeah I managed to smooth everything over with her' I replied 'I'm just sorry again Hannah for acting out of character like I did, I don't know what came over me'

'Its fine Mason I totally understand why you did it, you were just protecting me and Jessica from any more bullshit'

'If only there was something more that we could do to put him behind bars'

The room fell silent amongst the three of us as Clay and Hannah looked at each other before turning back to me. They already knew what I would be suggesting again, I just needed someone to be brave enough to make the first move and the rest might follow

'Have you given any more thought about going to the police Hannah?'

'I just can't go through with it Mason'

'Me, Clay and Jessica will be there to support you at the police station if you decided to do so'

'Just respect my wishes to not report him yet to the police, I'm not ready to tell my story to the police about what happened to me at his house'

'If you and the other survivors could just see what kind of damage he had done already' I sighed deeply, shaking my head. 'He would be locked up by now'

'I hope you're not blaming Hannah for not coming forward and saying something to the police, she doesn't have too if she doesn't feel comfortable too'

'I never said that I was Clay' I admitted. 'If you guys knew what I know then….'

'Can we stop talking about it now it's really depressing me' Hannah pleaded

'Sure babe' Clay replied

Clay wrapped his arm around Hannah and brought her closer to his chest, planting a delicate kiss to the top of her head as she snuggled into warm embrace for comfort. I would have to work harder to convince either Hannah, Jessica, Chloe, Amanda or Jennifer to come forward with their story and that they mattered and shouldn't be silenced, that justice will prevail and they all could get the closure they needed to move forward with their lives…..


	18. Chapter 18

I lay awake in my bed and stared up at the ceiling whilst over hearing the outside noise of my family getting ready for the day ahead, I heard multiple times from my Uncle Andy that he would come and wake me up for the school day ahead as it was getting late by the minutes that ticked passed. My Aunt Liv bailed me out numerous times this morning and I couldn't thank her enough for that. She had told my uncle that I had come down with a cold last night and needed to take a day or two off school with rest to recover from it

Whilst waiting in my room I did not leave my small confine space till I saw my aunt and uncle leave the house. Once I was sure they had gone to the store for the day and weren't coming back to pick something up I left my bedroom, I saw Hannah at the dining table eating her breakfast whilst going through her phone, whilst walking past Hannah I flicked a few of her long hair back over her face

'Idiot' she huffed annoyingly

I just chuckled to myself as I entered the kitchen to fix myself up with some cereal for the day, coming back to the dining room table moments later I sat down at the head of the table as she was still engrossed in her phone

'You got a busy day ahead?' Hannah asked as she put her phone down on the table

'Not really I've got all my classwork emailed to me last night'

'Did you really think you would have an easy two days off school'

'Well it's given me something to do when I've had enough of Netflix for the day' I replied. 'Maybe we could all do something together tonight, the four of us if Clay and Jessica are not busy'

'I'm sure they would like that' she stated. 'Did you have anything in mind for tonight?'

'Not yet but I have the whole day ahead of me to think of something right'

Hannah nodded her head whilst getting up from the table and taking her cup and bowl with her to the kitchen, I left her alone to get ready for the school day as Clay would be arriving soon to the house to walk with his girlfriend to school.

As per usual every school morning Clay was always on time when he rang the front door bell, I let Clay into the house as he waited for Hannah to reappear out of her bedroom with her school bag. Whilst waiting together for Hannah I asked Clay if he was free tonight and if we wanted to do something together which he agreed, Hannah came from her room and linked her arm through her boyfriend's

'Bye Mason, try to have a good day' she chirped. 'Love you'

'Love you too'

I watched the young couple leave the house as they made their way to Liberty High School, shutting the door behind them I cleaned up the dining room table and placed the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, with the house in nice and tidy order I decided to make a start on all the school work I was emailed last night

After firing up my laptop and going through my emails to find the first piece of school work I was sent, I just sat at my desk with my math trigonometry on the screen and my brian was already frazzled, it was too early to be doing this math work and I knew I couldn't be bothered to start another piece of assignment for another class

Moving away from my desk I layed back down on my bed and thought about the time I got suspended from my old school in Nevada for a fight with my ex-best friend Jacob Johnstone. That fist fight was one of the bloodiest that I fought in and it still shakes me badly whenever I reminisce about it, the huge fallout from that day completely destroyed my life the way that I last knew it.

'Why do I fuck everything up back then' I groaned loudly

I opened my eyes and looked down at my hands to see that they were covered in blood from my best friend, I tried to wipe the blood away but it made it worse as the blood started to spread up across my arms

'Did you really think you could escape your past Mason' Jacob exclaimed

Looking over to the other side of my bedroom I saw the figure of my former best friend in the world, he looked totally fine and not like the pile of shit that I left him in after letting out my burning rage during one of my darkest days

'What the hell are you doing here Jacob'

'You think moving to this crap little town and you could forget who you are, you're a monster yourself buddy' he laughed maniacally. 'You had beaten me to a pulp and almost left me for dead remember, you're nobody savour'

'I aint trying to be'

'Yet you're so damn welling to change for your loved one, you used to play that card all the time back home on your mom'

'Don't you dare speak of my mother ever'

'Touch a nerve did I momma boy' he smirked. 'You were always soft when it came to your mom. This little crusade your on in Crestmont won't ever clear your guilty conscious what you did in Nevada'

'I know it won't fix anything at all but I can try to be better for myself here in Crestmont, a clean slate is what everyone deserves in their lives'

'Keep saying whatever makes you feel better hero we both know it won't last long before you strike out in anger again'

'I promised'

'You're promises are as good as dog shit Mason. You made loads of them back home and you didn't even keep one, have your fun here before you ruin your life again I'll be waiting for you to do so'

'I won't even give you the satisfaction of ever ruining my own life'

'You may not ever buddy but you're very good at ruining everyone else's and making it a misery for them, you're just to blind to notice it sometimes'

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?'

'Use those two brain cells that are left in your head and figure it out or do I need to spell it out for you'

Jacob just laughed again whilst walking down the middle of my room before disappearing in front of my very eyes, snapping my gaze down to my arms the blood that was on them had also gone. It must have been my mind playing tricks on me as I hadn't spoken to Jacob in months before I decided to move down here and live with my aunt's family.

I guess I hadn't really thought about my actions back in Nevada when I had got suspended from high school for a week. All I cared about was going back to school so I could give Jacob another taste of my own medicine, I may have missed what kind of suffering I was giving my own family when they had been called in about my fight, all I ever wanted to do was make my mother proud of me but yet I continued to hurt her more. All that pumped up negative energy inside of me must have blocked out any rational thoughts at all during the time….

Feeling depressed about the situation and not wanting to mule over the thoughts of school suspensions anymore I decided to leave the house and let out any bad ill I had in me at a punch bag down at City Gym, this time of day I could work out in peace and really let out my anger without looking like a mad man had just escaped.

Upon entering the gymnasium the building was quiet and I couldn't see Caleb anywhere, he must have been out on work matters as he was always in when he knew one of his guys had made plans to workout here so he could help support them. I found a quiet space in the gym and walked over to the punch bag to let it all out

Two things occupied my mind this morning and it was driving me mad, I hadn't thought about them in a long while as it just drove me bad that I did today. Bringing up my fist I struck out in anger whilst the bag swayed back violently, I didn't wait for the punch bag to loose its momentum as I carried on hitting it

'_I'm sorry Mr Baker but we have no choice but to suspend Mason for a week, you were destined for a bright future but you've thrown all that away now' My principle sighed deeply _

That day was one of the worst of my life and not just because of the fight I started, it was the cruel words from my father that would stay with me forever; his words were like a dagger to the heart when all I wanted to do was just please him

'_What the hell did you think you were doing Mason? I always expected your mother and Teddy to always disappoint me but not you, My whole family is one big disappointment and really are just scum' he roared, spitting in my face _

I couldn't believe I'd been spatted on from my father and just took it, there was so much I wanted to scream and shout back at him but I just stayed silent. The rage I have for father compared to nothing in the entire universe, I despised the man with every fibre in my body and prison wasn't enough for him to make me happy; I wanted the man dead

My muscles tighten in my arms when I thought about my father whilst hitting the bag, the chain holding up the bag was rocking on the clasp and was on the verge of falling off, I kept the rhythm of my arms in sync with each punch harder than the last

'_Why would you humiliate Teddy like the way you did, he looked up to you like a brother we both treated you as one' I yelled at Jacob_

'_Your brother made everyone think I'm something that I'm not, it's not my fault he's different Mason. You're not so innocent yourself you'd like to humiliate me as well at any given moment'_

I hated to think of any time from back before my life came crashing down in Nevada, the memories of my best friend faded over the months but the anger still remained when I thought about our clashes. I wasn't going to stop punching the bag still I knocked it down of the chain

'_Why would you try to get back at me Jacob we're brothers'_

'_Your no brother of mine Mason I despise everything about you and watching your life fall apart is the best thing I could ever wish for'_

I had supported my former brother when he went through a lot of hardship back home and was his rock for the last few years before he went on his crusade to humiliate me and my family.

The bag was clinging on for dear life onto the chain from the pounding it was receiving, giving it one final blow the bag finally unclasped from the chain and hit the floor with a large bang, shocking fellow gym goers around me from the noise it made hitting the mat flooring

Panting heavily out of breath and coming back around to my senses around me I didn't notice Caleb was watching me lose my shit on the bag. Taking a couple of steps in front of me I picked up the chains and reattached the punch bag to its hook as it swung back to it's natural resting place

'That was nothing like I've ever seen before in my life' Caleb proclaimed

'Well I live to surprise people'

'You wanna talk about what's on your mind?'

'I don't want to take up your time if you're busy Caleb'

'Not at all Mason I haven't got anything going on at the minute, lets go to my apartment around the back'

Following Caleb out of the gym area we went through a joining door that lead to his living quarters at the back of the building, he ushered for me to take a seat on the couch whilst he went into the open kitchen to grab a drink, Caleb returned minutes later with two cups in his hands

'I'm not thirsty Caleb'

'After all the energy you used on the bag you need to replace all the electrolytes you've lost so drink up'

Taking the cup from Caleb I took an uneasy sip of the drink not sure of what to expect, to my delight it was the familiar taste of coconut water that I drank after my workout here at the gym to get my energy levels up again. Caleb took a seat next to me on the couch as he drank his juice drink

'So what's on your mind Mason?' he asked

'I don't know what you mean Caleb, nothing is on my mind'

'No one punches a punch bag like you did without having something on your mind, you can open up to me anytime you know that don't you'

'Yeah I know Caleb but I don't want to trouble you with my problems, I've troubled enough people with them'

'Clearly something is going with you if you managed to get suspended for two days from school'

'You heard about that' I asked, raising a brow

'I'm pretty sure the whole town knows about it. It's pretty rare for jocks to be fighting amongst themselves if there isn't an oblivious reasons for like it like over a girl'

'Did Tony tell you the whole story of what happened'

'It was actually Clay that told me and Tony, he wanted someplace to cool off after what happened and taking Jessica home' he informed me. 'Clay was pissed off that day and wanted to let off some steam'

'I don't blame him for wanting too and that's what I should have done as well but like always I use my fists instead of my words' I admitted. 'Do you think I did the right thing Caleb?'

'I'm not going to tell you what you want to hear to make you feel better but I do think you did the right thing buddy, those boys needed to be a taught a lesson and you sure did that'

'That doesn't make me feel any better'

'You are the one kid that is willing to stand up for all the girls and try to make Liberty a safe place for everyone, you should be proud of that'

'I haven't made it safe yet though have I. With every passing day something else goes wrong there and I don't know what to do about it'

'We can only try to fix what we are in control of Mason, doing nothing doesn't solve any problems'

I took Caleb's words and burned them into my mind for whenever I feel most helpless next, I vowed to myself to make the school a much safer place than it is right now for everyone's well being. If it meant taking down the jocks one day in a fight or a battle in the courtroom then so be it, no one should be made to feel so scared and helpless in this world

Looking up from my now empty cup I decided to let some of the weight from my shoulder go, Caleb was a trusted friend and I knew he would keep my secrets if I told him too. He's been more of a mentor to me than Coach Patrick has been, gaining his attention I let most of it out to him…..

Half an hour later I finally told someone of what happened at my old school and the days after, I hadn't gone into detail to Aunt Liv to spare her of anymore heartbreak. It felt good to finally get that off my shoulder and give some understanding to Caleb to why I smashed the hell out of the punch bag

'Have you ever spoken to him since you moved away'

'I don't think there's any point in keeping that friendship going now. He had hurt me in so many ways that I feel nothing but hatred for him'

'I still can't believe that Jacob continued to still torment you even after you put him into a hospital ward for days'

'Sometimes I think I didn't go far enough on Jacob and I always have this thought in my mind, could I have really killed him there and then'

'Well are you going to be honest with yourself and answer that question?' Caleb asked, raising a brow

'I don't think I really could have Caleb, I think I would have just kept on beating him to the point where he would have to eat out of straw for the rest of his life'

'You really are one conflicted kid Mason' he sighed sympathetically. 'You being honest with yourself is a start if you are really willing to change'

'I really do Caleb but no one is willing to believe that I can'

'I'm willing to believe you Mason. So look in that mirror over there and tell me what you see'

Caleb and I got up from the couch and walked through the open living room to a mirror that hung on the opposite wall, I stood in front of it with Caleb besides me and I really looked into my own eyes, seeing what was under this facade of a mask I wore daily since leaving Nevada

'So tell me Mason'

'I see...an angry and confused kid trying to figure out what to do with his life

'Go on' Caleb encouraged

'I see nothing has changed with me when I was living in Nevada and now in California. I keep on making the same mistakes and I should know better than this by now'

'Well it's a start Mason' he replied. 'Buy you want to know what I see of you in the mirror'

'Tell me Caleb' I asked, raising a brow

'I see a young man still carrying his past trauma with him, he's afraid of opening up and letting out his secrets. The fear of theses new revelations being out in the open and your close friends and family opinion of you suddenly changing'

'You've hit the nail on the head Caleb'

'Then change the way you see yourself in the mirror'

'How' I questioned

'Show them that you're not the young man that you think you are. If your friends can see your nothing like you say you are then your friends will believe that too' Caleb stated. 'When was the last time you last hanged out with your friends together'

'It's been that long I can't remember what we did when we last hung out together'

'Then show them tonight you're nothing that you fear to be Mason. Go and have some fun with your friends'

I nodded my head and thought back about a programme I watched with Clay and Hannah one evening, they had talked about it with Jessica the following day and we were keen to go up into the mountains and watched them with our very eyes. Caleb and I continued to talk and bond with each other for another hour as we talked about my plans for tonight and where a perfect spot would be to go tonight…

After spending most of the day down the gym I thanked Caleb for his time and for being so understanding with me, he was just being a caring friend and couldn't thank Clay and Tony enough for introducing me to him. I left City Gym and made my way to Baker Drugstore to see how my aunt and uncle were doing at the store

Upon entering the store they had finished serving a customer and were quite surprised what I was doing here when I should be tucked up in bed, walking up to the counter I jumped up and sat on the flat surface top

'What are you doing Mason? I thought you had a cold' Uncle Andy asked curiously

'I'm feeling a little better now to be honest'

'Well enough to go back to school tomorrow' he stated, raising a brow

I locked eyes with my Aunt Liv and pleaded with her to bail me out of this scenario with my Uncle Andy, if he thought I was well enough Uncle Andy would send me back to school tomorrow and where would I hide then for the day. Aunt Liv dropped her price label gun down on a shelf and walked up to my side, placing the back of her hand against my forehead

'You still feel a bit hot maybe you should stay at home for another day just to be on the safe side'

'If you think that's best'

Making sure the coast was clear with Uncle Andy who had his back turned towards us as he was busy making a prescription order ready. I winked at my Aunt Liv, she smiled happily and kissed the top of my forehead before going back to label up some products with the gun she left on a shelf. Seeing the time on the clock I wondered if Hannah had finished yet for the day and had come by the store yet

'Has Hannah come by the store yet' I asked my Aunt Liv

'She already has babe, Hannah left five minutes before you arrived and gone to Monet's with Clay'

'I had something planned tonight for us and I was just going to ask her here but I'll drop her a text' I informed her, reaching into my pocket to pull out my phone. 'Aunt Liv do you mind if I borrow the Jeep for tonight?'

'Not at all sweetheart. Where are you planning on going tonight?'

'Up the mountains tonight for a couple of hours, we'll be back before midnight I promise'

I told my aunt and uncle what we would be doing in the mountains tonight and they were quite surprised at what I had suggested, I don't blame them for thinking we might be getting drunk or trying drugs out in the wilderness; they only wanted to make sure we were being safe out there late at night…..

Nightfall had hit the town of Crestmont and the sky was turning darker as the temperature had dripped in the cold november night, I had packed all the essentials into the back of the Jeep so we wouldn't be cold up there, I had grouped text Clay, Hannah and Jessica to meet me outside of the house at seven thirty sharp.

They were all curious to what I had planned up my sleeve on a school night, With much persuading Clay and Jessica managed to get away from their families and were able to make it on the road trip. Small conversation broke out in the car journey about how the school day went without me and numerous questions about where we were going

Keeping tight lipped during the thirty minute journey ride up into the mountains, the views from the ride up spoke for themselves when the stars shined through clearly. Hannah, Clay and Jessica were literally star struck as I put the Jeep in park in a nice flat area on the mountain. Stepping out of the vehicle the four of us wondered the open space whilst keeping our gaze in the night sky

'We've always talked about going stargazing together so I thought lets do it tonight' I informed them

I opened up the boot of the Jeep and pulled out some foldable chairs and placed them near the back of the car so we could look at the stars together. Clay and Hannah sat down in the back of the car whilst Jessica and I occupied the chairs, I pulled out a flask and pour the four of us a cup of hot chocolate each

'Tonight wouldn't be complete with a cup of hot chocolate' I stated

The three of them all smiled and agreed whilst picking up a mug each before sitting down in the seats, we watched the stars bright up the night sky and passed a handheld telescope around between us to get a better look of the natural wonders in the world

'Clay you're the nearest thing we have to a astronomy teacher, fancy tell us what we can see right now and what constellation they are' I proclaimed

'Yeah go on Clay' Jessica encouraged, taking the telescope away from her eye

'Ok but stop me if I'm boring you to death after a while, I could talk about the stars all night long'

Clay put his mug down inside the car and cleared out his throat before speaking loudly enough for us to hear, he pointed to the night sky and showed us some constellations with their mythology behind them, we were amazed by his knowledge of astronomy and could listen to him all night long talking about the stars….

After an hour of learning from Clay he was only taking loud enough for Hannah to hear as she leaned her head on his shoulder, turning towards Jessica she turned her head and smiled softly at me

'Thanks for organising this Slick I had fun tonight' she beamed

'We did too' Hannah interjected, kissing Clay's cheek

'Let's not wait for one of us to be suspended from school to do this again' I chuckled softly. 'What are you doing tomorrow Jess?'

'I've got school tomorrow unlike some people'

'Well keep tomorrow clear Jess I've got more plans for us'

'Anything I should be excited about'

'Just you wait and see for tomorrow'

Jessica smirked and bit her bottom lip as she tried to figure what I could be planning for tomorrow, if she had fun tonight watching the stars I would try to make tomorrow even more fun for us…..


	19. Chapter 19

After losing track of time in the mountains watching the stars and dropping Jessica back home I finally parked the Jeep outside of the house at half past midnight. Clay, Hannah and I stepped out of the vehicle and stumbled quietly into the house, the young couple made their way to Hannah's bedroom as I went into mine for the night

Laying down on the bed and picking up the tv remote control off the side table I turned on the television, flicking through the channels I came across an old eighties movie that I loved to watch all the time with my mom; Ferris Bueller's Day Off

I had missed the first twenty minutes of the movie but that didn't matter to me at all, I could easily quote this movie at the drop of a hat. Whenever my mom or I was sad we would watch this together to cheer ourselves up and have a laugh, there was no other movie in the world that could break the fourth wall like they did in this film and make you laugh so hard with its humour and give you life messages along the way that still stuck to me to this day….

As the film neared the end of its conclusion I couldn't help but quote the ending to the movie with Ferris, he layed back into his bed after and looked directly into the camera whilst breaking the fourth wall for the final time

'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it'

The credits to the movie started to roll on screen and I requoted Ferris again out loudly on my own. If I solely focused on my crusade to bring Bryce Walker down and I would miss years of my life to make the most of them and have some fun with the ones I love, If the opportunity presented itself tomorrow with Jessica then I would make a move on her before I missed it…..

The next morning Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy left the house early so they could get to the bank first and pay off this month's rent that was due. I was already up cracking on with some of my assignment work when I needed another cup of coffee to get me through the morning

Pouring myself more coffee into my mug, a sleepy Clay and Hannah came into the kitchen. They looked shattered after last night trip into the mountains and could do with a couple more hours in bed

'What time is it Mason?' Hannah asked

'It's just about to turn twenty past eight'

'Come on Helmet get a move on or we're gonna be late again'

'I don't care if we get a tardy again from Mrs Childs if we're late, we had a late night Hannah'

I wasn't sure if I heard Clay right when he stated he and my little sister were late for school, they both left the Baker household early every morning on a school day; I hate to think what they were getting up to each morning.

'Then skip school and spend the day with me' I suggested hopefully

'You're joking right' Clay proclaimed, unsure if I was yanking his chain

'Do you see me laughing' I questioned, raising a brow

'Come on Mason you can't be serious' Hannah stated

'We skipped middle school most of the time back home in Nevada you and me, let's do it again for old time sakes and have some fun Hannah'

'One last time for old time sakes Mason I can't take anymore time off school in my junior year'

'You guys are really gonna bunk off' Clay stated

'Well I'm still suspended for today anyway and Hannah is taking today off, you should as well Clay. Join your rebellious girlfriend'

'I'll join you both only on one condition, we do something today other than just sit around the house watching netflix all day'

'Deal' I agreed

I tried to think of what exciting things we could do today before realising that Jessica would be missing out on all the fun that could be had, reaching into my pocket to retrieve my phone I saw the time in the corner of the device. Jessica would be on her way to school by now if not already there yet so I quickly opened up my messages

'Skip school today and meet me by Eisenhower Park in fifteen minutes'

A few seconds later I reply reached back to my phone that Jessica was on her way to the park now. Hannah had just got off the phone to the school pretending to being Clay's mom and his alibi was sorted for the day, I had decided to call Liberty High School and pretend to be Hannah's father on the phone, few minutes later I got through to the receptionist of the school

'Yes hello, this is Mr Baker. My daughter Hannah won't be coming into school today, if you could let her teachers know she won't be coming in that would be great'

'I'll make a note of it right now Mr Baker' she replied. 'Mr Bolan is here and he would like to speak to you'

My heart was racing out of my chest and I couldn't guess at all what Mr Bolan would want to talk about. I just needed to keep cool and not raise any suspicion to him with the sound of my voice

'Hi Andy it's Gary' he greeted warmly

'Hi Gary how's it going' I greeted, trying to sound believable as my uncle would

'I'm alright thank you. Is everything alright with Hannah?'

'She's feeling a bit under the weather this morning, Hannah should be back into school for tomorrow'

'Well I'm sorry to hear that Andy. If there's anything I can do you just let me know ok'

'Actually there is something you could do for me Gary'

'You name it buddy'

'Jessica won't be coming into school today either, I feel kinda bad for letting my daughter and her friends spend the night out and then getting themselves ill. Don't phone Jessica's parents and tell them she wasn't at school when she stayed over at mine last night Gary'

'It will be our little secret Andy and we don't have to mention it again'

'Thanks again Gary for doing this I owe you one'

'You can make it up to me by buy me a drink after our around of eighteen holes on sunday'

'Ok tell the wife I said hi'

I ended the phone call to the school and was quite surprised to find out my uncle was an amateur golfer, he didn't stuck me as a keen sports enthusiast and I've never seen a golf bag around the house either.

Clay and Hannah waited patiently to hear what the plan was for the day, they were gobsmacked that Mr Bolan fell for the impersonation of my uncle's voice. We went into our bedrooms to get changed and ready for the day of mischief to be had ahead

Ten minutes later Clay had suggested the idea of taking his Dad's Prius with us for the day, the three of us went to the Jensen household and climbed into his father's Prius. Seating up front of the vehicle with Clay in the driver seat I gave him the directions to Eisenhower Park so we could pick up Jessica

Driving down the road to the park I could see a figure waiting at the side of the curb, I reached over to the driver side of the car and pressed the horn a couple of times to gain the figure's attention. Jessica jumped from the car noise as we screeched to a stop besides her, rolling down the passenger window I smirked while Jessica crossed her arms unimpressed

'What the fuck asshole' she shriked

'Get in the car Jess'

Hannah opened the back door of the Prius and slid along the passengers seats so Jessica could get inside, looking through the driver mirror I watched Jessica look around the car and was surprised to see Clay and Hannah in the vehicle as well

'What are we even doing here Mason' Jessica asked

'Since last night was a lot of fun watching the stars, I thought lets do something again but for the whole day'

'Unlike you Slick the rest of us have to get to school right now and we're already late'

'Mason has already covered that for us Jess' Hannah informed her

'How'

'I phoned up the school pretending to be my uncle and got you three the day off saying you guys were sick from last night'

'Isn't that fraud Mason, lying to the school as your uncle' Jessica stated

'When did you care Jess about playing everything by the book and I'd say it was quite genius of me if Mr Bolan completely fell for it'

'It really worked then did it, you pulled the wool over his eyes' Jessica exclaimed

'We ain't gonna get bothered today from Liberty or our parents, today is for ourselves only'

'Where are we going today Mason?' Clay enquired, starting up the car of the Prius

'I've put the direction into the gps and it should take us into the next town of Stonehawk'

'What the hell is in Stonehawk Mason I thought we would be doing something fun today' Hannah sighed disappointingly

'The question isn't what are we going to do? The question is what aren't we going to do?'

'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' Jess smiled happily

'How did you guess that off the top of your head'

'The most famous movie line in one of the all time greats in my opinion' she proclaimed. 'Plus it does help I was watching the movie last night once I got into my house, it's one of my favourites'

Now that was another coincidence that Jessica and I shared together, it was like everyday I was learning something new about her and miraculously we would have that in common; I never really did believe in soulmates after past experiences but now I was starting to believe in them

The drive into the town of Stonehawk wasn't long and about twenty five miles west from our hometown of Crestmont. There was a few things happening in this town today to keep us busy so we didn't have to think too hard for activities to do if we got bored

Clay pulled his dad's Prius into a multi storey car park that connected to a large shopping mall, the four of us got out of the vehicle and saw posters on various walls telling the locals of its annual street party of the town's history.

'Anyone fancy going to a party' I suggested

The three of them agreed to attend the street party later as our small group left the car park area and entered the main shopping centre, starting at the bottom of the large complex and working our way up to the food court on the fourth floor…..

After a few hours spent around the various shops in the mall the four of us went to the food court to grab a bite to eat. Hannah and Jessica went through their shopping bags at the purchases they had bought, the dresses Jessica had bought were very flattering on her and it was great to see Hannah falling back in love with her unique style sense with some new black combat boots and denim jackets she had gotten

Clay and I tucked into our double decker cheese burgers whilst the girls talked amongst themselves, dropping the burger out of my hand down on the plate and picking up a few fries and placed them into my mouth

'You sure love your converse shoes don't you Clay' I proclaimed, seeing the two shoeboxes in a bag besides him

'You should see the small collection of them I have back at home' he replied. 'What's with the new white shirts? I thought we had our suits sorted for the winter dance'

'The suit is all fine but Coach Patrick wants me to dress the part for my upcoming fight. I don't plan on wearing the same suit to that night as well'

'I bet you're pretty psyched up for it ain't you' Jessica interjected

'The nerves are kicking in for it but I just want to get the first fight out of the way'

'We're all gonna be there to cheer you on Mason' Hannah beamed happily

'Thanks you guys, it means a lot to me that you're gonna be there that night'

'You'll win for sure Mason' Jessica commented

We talked about what plans Coach Patrick had in mind and how ridiculous some of the proposals were for the whole night. Jessica had some ideas of her own for the night when I would do my walk on into the ring

A security alarm to one of the stores went off alerting everyone near it, turning my gaze to the sound of the alarm I saw a guy in a Joker mask running out of a store. He had a small bag in one hand and a hammer in the other, the robber was hurtling tables and chairs across the floor to upstruck the security guards way to him so he could make a fast exit from the shopping mall, the security guards were having a hard time trying to keep pace with the thief as he jumped over and slid across tables

The thief would be running past us in a matter of no time to get to the car park and sneak out of the shopping mall without being seen, acting without a second thought running through my mind I made the decision to get involved in the matter. As the thief ran past our table I stuck out my foot long enough for the thief to trip over my leg and fall to the floor, the thief grabbed his belongings and tried to escape again quickly

I kicked a chair that slid across the floor to him which knocked him unbalanced and the bag in his hand, sliding another chair over to the thief it landed over his bag of stolen goods, the delays of grabbing his things worked out in the security guards favour as they had caught up to him and pinned down to the ground.

A well dressed elderly man came along to the scene of the commotion as the thief was being escorted away by security guards, one of the security guard handed the distinguished gentleman the bag of stolen goods and showed him our table who helped catch the crook

'Are you the kids that helped to catch that thief?' he asked

'Well it was our friend Mason who did all the hard work in stopping him' Clay interjected, placing a hand on my shoulder

'I'm Mr Goldman I can't thank you enough son for stepping in like you did' he exclaimed, patting the side of my hand as we shook hands. 'You wouldn't want to know how many times I've been hit by that guy in this past year alone'

'Well at least he is off the streets now sir so your store will be safe for a while'

'If there's anything I could ever do for you then you just come by my store and let me know Mason'

'Sure which one is it'

'Goldman's Jewellery' he replied. 'Thanks again kid for stopping that criminal'

Mr Goldman reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a brown leather wallet, he proceeded to take out two hundred dollar notes from the case and put out his hand in front of me with the two notes in his grasp to take

'As a reward Mason for stopping him'

'Oh I couldn't accept Mr Goldman' I stated, gentle pushing his hand back to him as I would have done the same for anyone

'You can and you will Mason, treat yourself to something nice or spend it on your friends and do something fun together'

'If only you're sure about this Mr Goldman'

'I'm sure kid'

He handed me the two hundred dollar bill notes and I thankfully accepted from the kind old man, Mr Goldman walked away with some security guards back to his store. Placing the two notes into my own wallet and back inside my jean pocket I turned around to my friends

'What' I questioned whilst smiling awkwardly

'Nothing' Hannah exclaimed

'I'm guessing the next night out for us is on me then' I proclaimed

'How kind of you good sir to offer' Clay replied in a polite british accent

I just giggled at how ridiculous Clay sounded and went back to finishing off my lunch, we had agreed to spend another hour of two in the shopping mall before making our way to the street party…..

The street party for the town of Stonehawk got underway around two o'clock in the afternoon, many floats of the town's history depicted on them passed by before the street was opened up to the public. Large crowds soon descended to the roads and a dj host started playing his tunes to get everyone into the party spirit

Clay and Hannah certainly got into the party spirit of things and went for a dance together near the dj where most couples had gathered to show off their best moves. With two cups of punch in my hands I found Jess in the large crowd and offered her a drink as we watched people from afar let their hair down on the street party

'You don't fancy having a dance then' Jessica proclaimed

'I don't do dances Jess'

'Yet you still asked me out to the winter formal' she exclaimed, raising a brow

'What I mean is I don't really know how to dance, I've got two left feet' I explained. 'I'd rather just hang back and socialise with friends than dance'

'You can't be that bad of a dancer Slicker. Your boxing moves requires footwork'

'Yeah you would think it would help but then you haven't seen me dance'

'Is it that bad' she smirked

'Oh yes' I nodded my head

'Then show me right now Slick so I can see for myself'

'No in God's way am I doing that, it's embarrassing Jess in front of all these people'

'Just a few moves Slick' Jessica pleaded

'That's the thing Jess I don't have any moves'

'I don't believe you for one second Mason'

'Fine I'm more than happy to embarrass myself to prove a point to you that I can't dance'

Trying to feel the beats of the song that was being played over the loudspeakers, I pushed my arms away from my body and moved them up and down in time to the song; desperately trying to think of any memorable dance moves I've seen on the tv recently .

Nothing came to my mind and I just let natural instinct take over my body, my body sway unnaturally to the upbeat music as I wouldn't even dare to look over at Jessica. I know I was dancing weirdly like I had taken some sort of drug to behave this way, my moves were mostly cringeworthy and it shown on Jessica's face

'Okay that's enough Slick' she pleaded for me to stop, putting her hands on me

'Told you Jess I can't dance'

I could see doubt creep into her mind on how the winter formal night would go, would we be the date that danced awkwardly together or just sat in the bleachers all night long watching everyone else having fun.

Looking into the crowd I watched Clay and Hannah dance together so elegantly and envied how rhythmically they moved together. Clay pulled Hannah back by the arm as she twirled around to him and were caught in each other embrace, Hannah dropped her arms on the top of her boyfriend's shoulder and gently kissed him as the song they were dancing too came to and end

If I was ever gonna be ready for the upcoming dance and show off some better moves to Jessica then I needed a dance teacher, Clay was the only person that I could confidently ask for help in that department…..

After a long day out in Stonehawk and the journey back to Crestmont that evening Jessica reminded me that I had made plans for tonight to have dinner with her family, the whole evening dinner had slipped my mind and I was turning into a nervous wreck at how the whole night might turn out to be

Any little decision for the night and I was overthinking the answer where I became more frustrated than before, it would be very childish of me to call Jessica saying that I was too ill to come tonight. Her dad had seemed fond of me and probably just wanted to know me better like he knew Clay and Hannah

I arrived at the Davis' household on the exact time of seven thirty and pressed the doorbell as I stood on her front porch of the house, Jessica opened the door a couple of seconds later and I was welcomed into the quiet living room whilst we were alone in there

'Whatever my dad says just go along with it Slick' Jessica stated, quickly spinning on the spot

'Ok why'

'I've told him it was just a normal day at school, nothing really interesting happened at all'

'Yeah I can do that Jess'

'And also I've told him that you were my boyfriend'

'What! Why would you saying something like that to your dad Jess'

'I'm busting your balls Mason I haven't told him anything about us'

'Jesus Jess why would you mess with me like that'

'I wanted to see how you would react, I thought it would be funny to have you in a sweaty mess before my dad completely interrogates you to death'

'Thanks for the warning ahead of time or I wouldn't have shown up tonight' I replied sarcastically

Jessica giggled loudly as we both dropped down to the couch and enjoyed each other's humour, not long after Jessica and I were joined by her parents in the living room as dinner was still being prepared. She wasn't joking about her dad interrogating me as soon as he sat down the questions came barrelling out…..

The four of us sat around the dining room table and Mrs Davis took the liberty of feeding her two young boys dinner early so we didn't have to censor our conversations or language around them. The plates of spaghetti had been dished out between the four of us and idle chit chatter started about how our day went

'So I hear Mason from Jessica that you've got a boxing match coming up' Mrs Davis asked

'That is correct, my fight is in a couple of weeks' time. I'd love if you guys could make it that night'

'Sure we'll be there son and I could help you out if you like, few session down the gym and I'll have you punching like Mike Tyson' he demonstrated, throw a few punches in the air

'God you're so embarrassing dad, put your hands down' Jessica groaned

I tried to keep a straight face and not let a small laugh or giggled escape my mouth, Jessica was going red in the face and just wanted to the ground to swallow her up. 'You should come down to the gym with me and Clay some time Mr Davis, I'm sure you would have plenty of advice to give me in the ring after your boxing fights in the service'

'I would love too Mason' he replied happily. 'And how are your guardians? I haven't seen them in a while'

'They're doing ok I guess, I mean they are always at the store and trying to make it work for them but Hannah and I have each other for company at home'

'And Hannah? How is she' Mrs Davis asked

'She's doing a whole lot better now and I'm relieved that she has some happiness in her life again. It's all thanks to Clay and Jessica that she has a great friendship circle around her'

'Well it's good to hear that Hannah is doing well. She is practically like another daughter to us here and I wouldn't want anything to happen to her'

'It's nice that she's with a good boy who treats her right' Mrs Davis proclaimed to no one in particular. 'What about you guys, when are you going to start dating each other'

I nearly choked on my spaghetti and grabbed my glass of water to clear my airway passage, the rest of the Davis' were concerned and Jessica was quick to refill my glass again. Take a few extra breaths I calmed sipped on my water

'Are you ok Mason?' she soothed, gently patting my back. 'Jesus mom I told you before that me and Mason are just friends'

'But you guys would make such a cute couple'

'Can we stop talking about us please'

'Sure honey' Mr Davis agreed

'So Mason what are your intentions with my daughter'

'Jesus dad what have we just said'

The conversation moved on and we were discussing the annual upcoming school dance, I had told them I would be Jessica's date for the dance and they wanted me to come over for some picture opportunities. The rest of the night moved into the living room and we happily spent the next few hours just talking amongst ourself and getting to know each other better…..

I stepped out of the Davis household and onto the front porch as Jessica closed the door behind the two of us so we could have a moment peace alone

'I am so sorry about my parents Slick if they asked too many questions tonight'

'It's ok Jess, it was quite nice getting to know them and I think I'd made a good impression on them'

'Well they seem to like you and I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you came by for another family meal some time soon'

'I look forward to another dinner date with your family' I replied. 'Maybe you could come over sometime and have dinner with mine, you're always welcomed there'

'I would like that a lot Slick'

An awkward silence fell between the two of us and now would be a perfect moment to kiss her. I stepped forward but hesitation creeped into my mind that her parents might be watching, I hugged Jessica tightly and felt her wrapped her arm around me tightly

Slightly pulling our heads away from each other's chest and staring into one another eyes, I took my chance and slowly leant my head in and connected our lips, softly kissing Jessica's lips and pulling away breathless seconds later

'I'll see you tomorrow Jess'

'Bye Mason'

Pulling away from Jessica and walking down her porch I turned around and waved her goodbye, she lingered on her porch before I was out of sight before going inside her house

I reached my home in ten minutes and entered the house to see my aunt and uncle cuddled up on the couch together, they were watching the daily news across our area of the state as I walked into the living room

'How was your night babe' Aunt Liv asked

'It was ok Aunt Liv, her parents seem nice enough. I'm gonna head to my room now'

'And how are you feeling? Well enough to go back to school tomorrow' Uncle Andy enquired

'I can't wait to get back and see what I've missed'

'That's good to hear'

Uncle Andy knocked the tv remote off the armchair of the sofa and landed on the floor, he bent over and picked up the remote before turning the sound volume up on the control

'In other news, the Goldman pouncer was finally caught today to some quick thinking from this young man' the news report exclaimed

I pivoted on my heels as soon as the news report shifted from the show to the shopping mall cctv footage of the capture with the four of us in clear view, treading lightly down the corridor I knew I was in for it now as our cover to Uncle Andy was blown for the day

'Mason' they both screamed in unison


	20. Chapter 20

Our little escapade to the town of Stonehawk had gotten the four of us into deep trouble with our parents, Hannah and I had been grounded for the next two weeks and were made to come straight home from school unless we had a revision class. Clay and Jessica had gotten off lighter than us when I came clean to their parents that it was my idea for them to bunk off school for the day

I dread to think what the school and Mr Bolan are going to say when they call the four of us into the office tomorrow, I'm pretty sure the whole town now knows of our misadventure today while it's been broadcasted on the news

The next day Clay arrived at the house as he usually did every morning to walk with us to school. Things were different this morning as Aunt Liv was waiting to drop us off to school instead

'Hey Mrs Baker I can walk to school on my own no problem' Clay proclaimed, trying to leave the house quickly

'You're getting in the car as well Clay, I've arranged it with your mother'

'No it's ok' he persisted

'No buts Clay your ass is getting in the car or you're not welcome here no more while Hannah is grounded' she scolded

'Yes Mrs Baker. You coming Hannah?'

Hannah nodded her head and quickly went to her room to grab her school bag before joining her boyfriend and waiting outside of the house.I still felt bad they were getting into trouble because of me when it was my idea for them to bunk off with me. Aunt Liv went to grab her things with her as I waited by the front door

'You forgot something babe?'

'Just go easy on them Aunt Liv' I sighed sympathetically

'You think I'm being too harsh on them and you? Babe you haven't seen anything yet'

'If you want to punish someone then punish me. I made them take the day off Aunt Liv, they were late that morning but they were gonna go into school anyway'

'I know you're thinking I'm blowing this way out of proportion but it's the fact that you impersonated your uncle and then lied to the school'

'Well I'm sorry for that again and I will do anything to make it up to you and the school'

'You can apologies to Mr Bolan when you seem him this morning'

'I still don't get why I have to see him again Aunt Liv, I served my two day suspension from the school' I explained. 'Why does he want from me now?'

'God knows babe but we better be going before we're late'

Aunt Liv and I left the house and saw Clay and Hannah were already strapped up in the car waiting for us, they were being their cute couple selves with Clay having his arm wrapped his girlfriend's shoulder and whispering sweet nothings into her ear

I tried desperately to lift the atmosphere in the Jeep on the way to school but to no avail, I couldn't blame Clay or Hannah for not being in a cheery mode when we had been treated like naughty school children for taken a day off when our parents probably had done the same in their youth

The car came to a stop outside of the school gates and before we could dash out of the car and get on with our day, Aunt Liv had pressed the central locking key so all the doors were locked shut. She spun around in her car seat so she could face the three of us

'Look guys I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you back home. I hate the idea of you lot just casually lying to me and I can't see right through you'

'It's ok mom and we are sorry for deceiving you and dad again and taking the day off school. We know how important our education is' Hannah smiled weakly

'And Clay you are always welcomed at our house, and just like Mason I see you as one of my own'

'Like a son?' he asked hopefully

'Very much so babe' she smiled widely. 'Go and have a fun day at school and try to stay out of trouble'

Aunt Liv unlocked all of the cars doors to the Jeep and we got out of the vehicle, She waited by the side of the road till we made our way into the school yard before driving off to the store for the day

Entering the school building and going straight to my locker to grab my books for the classes I had this morning I was greeted by some friendly and familiar faces. Vincent, Pablo, Liam and Aaron had all stopped by to welcome me back to school

'It's good to see you back Mason' Vincent greeted, fist bumping my hand

'It's good to finally be back boys' I smiled happily. 'Have I missed anything while I've been off'

'It's been relatively quiet since you and Bryce have been away' Pablo stated

'Almost too quiet with the jocks having no real leader to follow around here' Aaron interjected

'A peaceful couple of days is what probably everyone needs right now. Where are the rest of the jocks? I haven't seen anyone around' I replied

'They are most likely waiting for Bryce to show up so they got someone to follow, they have been clueless the last few days what to do around here' Vincent exclaimed

'Well at least you guys are nothing like them, People around here actually respect you guys for being you and genuinely nice people I know I sure do'

The bell had rang for the start of homeroom for the day as the halls had started to disperse. I said my goodbyes to my friends while I had an early morning appointment with Mr Bolan as I has been excused from homeroom this morning

After going through reception I waited patiently outside Mr Bolan's office, he had just finished a private meeting with Mr Porter as I was soon ushered into his office next

'Take a seat Mason' he instructed

'May I ask why you wanted to see me this morning sir?'

'Just a routine check in that the school does as part of it's policy, how are you feeling today Mason'

'I'm glad to be back to be honest and the two days off I've had a long good hard look at myself and my time here'

'That's really good to hear other than you lounging about at home and watching tv'

'Is that it? Can I go now'

'Well there was another thing or two I wanted to discuss with you about so you might as well get comfy in that chair, we could be here a while'

'Great' I huffed annoyingly

'For the next two weeks you're gonna be on a report for all of your classes to see how you are coping being back and if we can do something more to help you settle in then we will'

'This is bullshit Mr Bolan why am I being singled out here' I roared. 'Bryce is just as culpable as me but I'm the only one going on report'

'You're not being singled out here Mason. The same thing is happening to Bryce as well and I don't want to see the either of you back in here for a long time, do I make myself clear'

'Crystal' I replied weakly, still annoyed at the situation

'You can be on your way now Mason'

'I thought you had a couple of thing you wanted to talk to me about Mr Bolan'

'Oh I remember now. Don't you ever pull a stunt like you did yesterday and pretended to be your uncle on the phone, you don't know how much trouble you're going to be in for that'

'So I guess this is the part my aunt was referring to today, so what's the punishment going to be this time Mr Bolan? Another slap on the wrist and two days off again or is it a week?'

'Count yourself lucky I haven't come to the decision to suspend you yet, I'm getting all this bullshit pressure above me to make an example out of you here to the other students'

'So what is the decision you have come to then'

'Nothing I'm not going to do anything because you were suspended at the time and you can choose how to spend your day when your not here'

'Why are you doing me a big favour? What do you want in return from me'

'I want nothing at all from you Mason but a promise from you, promise me that you'll try to stay out of trouble at Liberty and we'll forget about this incident'

'You have yourself a promise Mr Bolan'

I reached forward from my chair and shook my principals' hand. I appreciated that the people above him wanted to punish me further but he was willing to look the other way again for me. Getting up my chair I picked up my bag from the floor and was getting ready to leave his office

'Just one thing before you go Mason' he proclaimed, shuffling some papers on his desk

'Yeah anything sir'

'Your uncle is still available for that golf game on the weekend isn't he?'

'Yeah I think so, just need to run it by him to confirm'

'Make sure that you do that Mason and I want an answer by the end of the day' he stated. 'Maybe a little helping hand from you for our first drinks on the day and I might let it slip that I asked you to tell him for me before you were suspended'

I smiled weakly at the lie Mr Bolan was willing to take for me after I arranged a fake get together with my uncle, slipping Mr Bolan a twenty dollar bill we said no more about the exchange of hands as we went about our usual day at the school…..

Jessica's P.O.V

During one of my classes I had received a text message from Justin, keeping my gaze down in class. I was curious as to what he wanted while I read his text. Justin wanted us to meet up behind the school at break to have a little chat

I was in two minds about going or not and whether to bring Hannah with me for support, it may be something serious happening in his life and he just wanted someone that he could trust and confide in. Replying back to Justin immediately I agreed to meet him at break to see what he wanted

Stepping down the concrete stairs to a quiet and unseen area of the school I found Justin perched on a wooden crate, he was lost in his own thoughts when I arrived

'Hey Justin, you wanted to meet up?'

'Yeah thanks for coming Jess' he smiled. 'How are you?'

'I'm good and yourself' I replied, just trying to get through all the pleasantries. 'What did you want to see me about'

'I just wanted to see you again Jess, I miss you real bad'

'Is that just it Justin? you wanted to tell me you miss me. We broke up a couple of months ago I've moved on from you'

'But I haven't from you Jess, I know I've said some hurtful things in the past but I want us to move past that and start again'

'Get back together? You must be out of your fucking mind'

'I'm serious Jess I want us to get back together, I still love you'

'You love me that much that you're sleeping around with other girls' I stated. 'I can smell Sheri's perfume still on you'

'What we had was something special and I want that again. Sheri is just a fling that I was trying to get over you'

'She may be a fling to you but she's my friend. I expected better from both of you' I admitted tearfully. 'l would be out of my mind to even consider getting back together. If that's it then goodbye Justin'

'Jessica wait' he exclaimed impatiently

I was turning away from him but Justin stepped forward and slapped his arm on the top of my upper arm to stop me. He turned me back around to face him again and I didnt know what else he would want to say to convince me to give him another chance

'Tell me that you haven't missed me Jess and then I'll believe you'

'Justin please'

'One kiss Jess and you'll see where made for each other'

'No Justin' I whimpered, trying to push him away

Justin placed his hands on the sides of my face and rested his forehead against mine, I was always vulnerable when he did this move when we were together. Justin slowly started pressing his lips against my neck and worked his way up, the sensations from before were coming back to me but I felt nothing towards Justin.

He brushed the tip of his nose against mine and was waiting for a signal from me to make a move, I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him furiously to me as our bodies collided. Justin bowed his head down and hovered his lips over mine for a second, taking in his hesitation I drew up my leg and kneed him in his groin forcefully

'Don't you ever fucking touch me again Justin Foley, we're through you got it'

'I got it' Justin whimpered

Justin bent over with his hands on his knees trying to regain his breath as I quickly left the scene, I was stuck between two emotions when I kneed him his groin; it felt great to get my own back at him but I felt bad that I had to physically hurt him like I did

Rushing to the girls restroom in the main building I was glad the toilet area was empty, reaching into my school bag I pulled out my makeup and touched up my face again with foundation. A couple moments passed and the door to the girls' toilets opened as another girl entered in the confined space

'Hey Jess' Hannah greeted

'You alright Hannah'

'Where were you at break? We were missing your intellect in our conversations, you know what Clay and Mason can be like once they get going'

'I had something I needed to take care of'

'Well you missed a sight to be seen Jess, it looked like someone kneed Justin in his balls as he was huffing for breath and with tears falling from his eyes'

'I'm the one who did that to him Hannah'

'What why?'

'Justin had text during class wanting to talk and his tried a few moves to get us back together'

'Jesus Jess we have talked about this lots of time, you need to stay strong around him and move on, we all know he isn't good for you'

'That's the thing Hannah I'm not interested him anymore'

'Then who are you interested in'

We had been close friends for over a year and when her cousin came into our lives I had started to fall for him from the beginning. Things were never discussed about my feelings but the time felt right to finally talk about how I feel about her cousin to her

'I like Mason' I admitted happily

'You like my cousin' she questioned, raising a brow

'I know you guys have more of a brother sister relationship and I totally accept that but I felt like I could never make a move because we are like sisters. It's like a unwritten rule that I would be breaking'

'But you wouldn't be Jess and it's like you said, we do have more of a brother sister relationship but I know I can't keep him all to myself. Mason wants to be happy but he's staying single for my sake at the minute so I don't fall back into my suicidal state if I happen to lose the both of you'

'So you would be ok with the idea maybe of me going out with Mason if we wanted to have a relationship together'

'I can't stop you guys from having a relationship if you wanted one just like Mason didn't stop me and Clay from being together when we wanted too'

'But you guys are written in the stars, you know like destiny' I stated

'Who says you and Mason aren't either' she exclaimed, raising a brow. 'Go and get your man Jess'

I smiled happily at her encouragement for me to go and pursue a relationship with her cousin, Hannah could have easily had taken it the wrong way and accused me of breaking one of the girls codes but her reaction did surprise me to say the least. With the upcoming dance I contemplated of taking things further with Mason that night since it did seem the perfect time to do so

Hannah and I finished touching up our make up in front of the mirror before stepping out of the restroom together, we found Clay and Mason talking to each other on the opposite side of the hallway waiting for us as we joined the boys

'You ok Jess' Mason asked

'I'm ok now' I beamed

Clay and Hannah intertwined their hands together as Mason dropped his arm around my shoulders and kept me close by him, it may have meant nothing to him but a few faces were looking over to us and noticed his innocent action. I could get used to the idea of Mason being my boyfriend as the four of us walked to our next class of the day…..

Mason's P.O.V

The school day had come to an end and Hannah, Clay, Jessica and myself were called to see Mr Bolan in his office instead of attending homeroom. For our little escapade we were given detention for the week and we had to give back to the school, they had assigned us jobs to do around the school during detention so we weren't sitting on our backsides doing nothing but staring up at the clock

Jessica and Hannah had been paired up together to help the kitchen staff clean up the canteen and thoroughly clean the kitchen. Clay and I had been passed over to Coach Patrick and were given the task of pumping air into all of the school's balls.

We were left to our own devices in the workout room to fill air into the balls, in fifteen minutes we had worked our way through half of the bags we had been given. Since we were left alone in here now seemed like the perfect time to talk to Clay about a personal problem

'Can I ask you something of a very delicate nature Clay?' I pipped up, gain my friend's attention

'You can talk to me about anything Mason, there's never been any topic that we couldn't talk about'

'It's really quite embarrassing really'

'It's not about something down there is it' Clay questioned, nodding to my groin

'No' I reiterated, shaking my head. 'Why would you say that Clay?'

'You said it was something embarrassing and a delicate nature. If you got a problem down there I ain't looking at it'

'Everything is fine in that department Clay, that wasn't something I wanted to talk to you about' I explained. 'When we were in Stonehawk at the street party, I watched you and Hannah dance so amazingly and freely without a care in the world'

'Yeah'

'And I was hope that you could teach me how to dance like you, I really need the help Clay and there ain't much time before the winter formal'

'Are you telling me you don't know how to dance Mason?'

'That is what I'm telling you Clay, I've got two left feet when I hit the dancefloor'

'How bad are you Mason at dancing'

'It would be an understatement to say I'm the worst in the world because my words wouldn't do it justice if you saw Clay. I showed Jess at the street party and I could feel her cringe all over just watching me'

'Jesus Mason you may be beyond my help there'

'I know you can't turn me into a ballroom superstar in this short amount of time but all I want to do is just give Jess at least one dance at the winter formal, she isn't expecting much from me that night but I want to surprise her. Please help me Clay' I begged, giving him my best puppy dog eyes

'Alright Mason I'll teach you how to dance'

We quickly finished pumping all the balls that we had to do during our detention so Clay could teach me how to dance, after placing all the equipment back where it belonged Clay and I went back to the workout room and locked the doors…..

After a while Clay had shown me a few basic dance routines for a simple waltz on the dancefloor, it started off with a few simple step moves before he showed me a few twists and drops that I should do with Jess on the night. It took a while to get going but my feet were starting to get some sort of rhythm in them

'I don't get why I am the girl I should be the one leading the dance' I exclaimed

'Because you need to watch what I do so you can take it to Jessca'

'Are you still free to teach me Clay for the week ahead'

'We can always put an extra hour of practise in after our workout session if that is convenient for you Mason'

'Thanks again Clay for do this for me'

'No problem buddy I know you would do the same for me if I asked for your help'

'It seems like I am always asking for your help nowadays'

'Glad to be of service to someone that appreciate me'

'And who says that your not appreciated Clay? I sure don't for a start and so do many others. I'm one of the lucky few to have a friend like you in my life'

'Maybe I need to count my blessings a bit more' he sighed deeply

'You don't know what you lost until you do Clay, being grateful for everything that has happened in your life so far'

'Then why do I feel so damn invisible sometimes around here, I just want people to notice me around here'

'You've got a skill most people would want around here and that's being a chameleon. You blended in with the crowds so easily' I explained. 'Your time will come Clay and then you can have the limelight all to yourself'

'I ain't a jock and neither do I possess any athletic abilities to show off to anyone'

'You'll think of something to do Clay, just let it come naturally to you' I replied. 'Can we now please get back to our lesson'

'Sure thing' he nodded his head

Clay and I took our positions again as we put one set of hands together while the others went to our natural resting positions on each other's bodies. We were just about to start practising again when we heard a loud crash of a locker door slamming in the boys room

'What was that?' Clay questioned

I decided it was best that we investigated what the noise was and where it had come from, for all we know it could Jessica and Hannah just mucking about to give us a fright. Checking the whole of the boys locker room nothing looked out of place and no one was here, it must have been our imagination running wild and we thought we heard a noise

'There's no one here Mason' Clay proclaimed, after checking the showers

'It was probably nothing then' I sighed deeply. 'We can continue our lesson another time Clay, thanks for showing me some moves now'

I walked over to my locker in the boys room so we could get our bags and finally leave school for the day after serving detention. After handing Clay his bag a small bit of film fell out of my locker and dropped to the floor, bending over to pick up the piece of film I noticed it was another polaroid; the picture was of girl bare chested on a bed with Bryce groping her breast and kissing her neck sultry as she appeared to be passed out

'Do you know who that girl is Clay?' I asked, inspecting the polaroid more

'It looks like Pablo's little sister'

'Jesus'

I hate to think if Pablo knows what Bryce had done to his little sister with the picture evidence in my hand even if he didn't want to believe it. I need to find Pablo's little sister tomorrow and have a little chat with her to know her side of the story; truth be told I don't expect it to be any different from the other girls that attended Liberty who were raped by Bryce…...


	21. Chapter 21

Unsure what to do with the polaroid I placed the small picture inside of my bag and decided to add it to my collection at home with all the mysterious pieces of evidence that keeps turning up to me.

Whoever this mystery whistleblower is clearly has the same agenda as me in wanting to bring Bryce Walker down. I just hope whoever it is can come forward to me and we can talk about how to bring justice to all these girls, he clearly knows more than he or she is letting on

'So what are you going to do now with that polaroid Mason' Clay asked

'Not much I can do really other than add it to the pile of evidence'

'You should go to the police Mason and report it'

'It's not my place to do anything Clay, I can't pressure the victims to come forward if they don't want too'

'I just feel so guilty with all this evidence we have and we can't do anything about it'

'I know how you feel Clay and I'm sure whoever this whistleblower is does as well' I exclaimed. 'We just got to hope something changes in someone to finally put Bryce where he belongs'

'Can I have another look at the polaroid again Mason'

'Sure'

I nodded my head and retrieved the photo again from my bag, Clay took the photo from me and examined it thoroughly. He took a while looking at the photo before pointing out some things in the background of the photo to me

'Does that look like the clubhouse to you Mason?' he asked, showing me the picture

'No it doesn't the clubhouse is a bit more dingy. It looks like somebody's house'

'That doesn't really narrow it down where this picture took place, the jocks have parties every other week but the girl does look familiar. she kinda looks like Pablo's sister''

'Then that leaves me with no choice but to ask Pablo's sister about this picture and does she recall it ever being taken'

'Have you ever met Pablo's sister?'

'Once when I went down his house to hang out with the boys from the team'

'Well she's in Mr Roughan class for homeroom if you want to meet her before school starts tomorrow'

'She's probably got a free period tomorrow so I'll see her then'

'But you will have a gym class tomorrow and she's in the year below, our timetables don't match the sophomores'

'Then I'll just ask Coach Patrick if I can bail out of tomorrow's class'

The doors to the locker room twitched open and Jessica and Hannah poked their heads through, seeing only just us they entered the boys locker room as I quickly grabbed the photo from Clay and placed it into my pocket

'What are you boys up to in here' Hannah asked

'Come on this is the boys room you know you're not allowed in here' Clay protested

'Like we haven't seen anything before'

'You wish I would show you more Hannah' Clay smirked

'Gross' I muttered. 'Thanks for that Clay, anyway how was kitchen duty?'

'I swear cleaning that kitchen has put me off school food for life, packed lunches all the way for me now on'

'That bad was it Jess surely not' Clay interjected

'You boys had it easy just putting air into a ball, we had to work our asses off in the kitchen. We got it worse compared to you boys'

'I think you owe us one Mason' Hannah teased

'Do I now?'

'If it weren't for you we wouldn't be in detention right now'

'I love how none of you were against going to Southhawk but the moment we get busted it's all my fault all of a sudden'

'Make it up to us and we might forgive you for ill judged actions then' Jessica smirked

'How about a hot chocolate at Monet's, it's been a shitty day and we could do with one'

'You're gonna have to do better than that'

'What about some cakes as well to sweeten the deal then'

Clay and Hannah looked at each other and were silently agreeing which type of cake they wanted. 'We want double chocolate cake' they cried in unison

'That's fine with me and what would you like from Monet's Jess'

'I want red velvet cake with my cup of hot chocolate Slick'

'Come on then let's go to Monet's now' I exclaimed. 'I'm done of being here for the day'

Clay placed his arm around his girlfriend's waist as they exited the locker room together first, I placed my arm over Jessica's shoulder as she wrapped her arm around my waist. We had gotten a bit more touchy feely with each other and I loved that we could be close like that, no awkwardness at how close we were even when we were not together; I wanted to change that after the dance…..

The next day I had easily gotten out of my gym class to meet with Pablo's sister Mari in the school library, she was busy with some assignment paper she was writing up. Pulling up a chair and seating down opposite her I gained her attention as she was disturbed by my presence, Mari dropped her pen down on the desk and met my gaze

'Can I help you?' she asked kindly

'Do you know who I am'

'You're the new kid in the year above and a friend of my brother' Mari stated. 'I know who are you Mason Baker'

'Glad to know that we're on first name bases Mari' I smiled weakly. 'There was something I wanted to talk to you about'

'If it's something to do with the team or my brother then go and speak to them'

'Oh I don't think you would want me to do that Mari, it would cause too many problems right now that nobody would want' I admitted, fearing the fall out it would cause. 'Take a look at this'

Reaching into my bag I pulled out the polaroid from a zip pocket and slid it across the table face down, we both checked our surrounding areas that the coast was clear before Mari picked up the small photo and examined it closely

'Where did you get this Mason' she accused, dropping the polaroid

'So you do recognise it then Mari'

'I remember that night partially but who gave this to you Mason? I need answers'

'I'm afraid I can't help you there as I found the polaroid in my locker yesterday, someone must have slipped it in while I had detention'

'I'm gonna kill whoever gave that to you Mason. No one can ever know what happened that night you hear me, not even my brother for god sake'

'The polaroid will stay safe with me Mari I can assure you that but you gotta tell me what's going on in the picture'

'I know jocks can be dumb sometimes but isn't it obvious what's happening in the picture'

'A picture does tell a thousand words but I'm only interested in your side of the story Mari. What's going on in the polaroid'

'What I tell you must stay between us and no one else. Pablo can never know what Bryce had done to me ok'

'I promise Mari I won't tell a soul, I know it will be hard but you just gotta trust me on that'

'Ok Mason' She sighed deeply, taking a moment to compose herself. 'That polaroid was taken a year ago before the start of the academic year, it was a party at my house for all the popular kids'

'And all the jocks, cheerleaders and popular kids turned up that night right'

'Pablo made a breakthrough in the team and was getting recognition from the others, we thought it would be a good idea to throw a party so I could get to know some people before I started my freshman year'

'It's ok Mari if you don't want to go into detail with me about that night'

'I feel like if I don't talk about it then I'm just kidding myself that it's my fault what happened that night'

'It was never your fault Mari. You didn't force him to do anything to you'

The stories we're getting more familiar with each girl that I sat down to talk with about their rape, my heart hurt deeply for Mari as she was the youngest victim so far of Bryce Walker that I knew of. I dread to think if Bryce was that disturb he could possibly go for even minors and not have a care in the world who he was hurting

'I had gotten friendly with Bryce when he showed up to my house, we stayed by each other's side most of the night and Bryce told me he recently broke up his girlfriend'

'Was Amanda there that night of the party?'

'Bryce asked me to play along with him and pretend to flirt him whenever Amanda was around so just to piss her off'

'Then what happened'

'As the evening drew to a close I had rejected his advances a couple of times that night and went up to my room, I thought I would be safe from him in my room but I was so wrong'

'So it was your room in the background of the polaroid'

'Bryce waited for nearly everyone to be passed out drunk or heading home before he came lurking up to my bedroom'

'That's where he raped you Mari'

She nodded her head as a few tears left her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, staining them as she tried to keep some sort of composure in front of her peers in the library. I reached into my pocket and handed Mari a clean tissue to wipe away her tears

'He took my innocence away from me that night Mason'

'I am so sorry that your first time was like that Mari, you deserve so much better and so do so many other girls here for a matter of fact'

'Everytime I close my eyes and think about ever being intimate I can feel him inside of me, how hard he pushed himself inside of me, it never goes away those thoughts'

I reached over the table and placed my hand over Mari's. It was hard for her but Mari had wanted to tell me how Bryce raped her. He had choked Mari till she was out cold and would regain consciousness every now and again during her ordeal till Bryce noticed and put her to sleep again

I was left with no words and felt sick to my stomach hearing Mari's attack. Left with nothing but rage again I wanted to kill Bryce, god only knows what Pablo would say or do if he were to ever find out his little sister was raped.

'Why did he have the camera with him? That the one thing I don't understand' I proclaimed, creating Mari's attention as she had zoned out. 'He sure loves to photograph his victims'

'His dad was about to throw out the camera in the trash but he decided he could have better uses for it so Bryce brought it to the party'

'Your polaroid was the first of his collection then'

'You could say that Mason and I'm guessing you know of the other polaroids'

'It's not just them Mari there's other evidence of his dirty deeds on video, Bryce has recorded some of his rapes as well'

'Oh my god' she gasped quietly, fresh tears spilling from her eyes again

'What I've told you Mari must stay between us ok, no one else knows about the videotapes and I don't want Bryce to get suspicious and burn the evidence'

'My lips are sealed'

'Have you ever thought about pressing charges against Bryce?'

'I have thought about it loads of times in the days after my rape and I really wanted to do it'

'So what stopped you then if you were so willing to take him down?' I questioned

'I just couldn't bear to put my family through a court hearing about what happened at the party. The jury were never going to believe me when there was no evidence to put forward other than my allegation'

'You can never know that Mari'

'How many times have you seen a jury convict a defendant without any solid proof given to deliberate about'

'None'

'And that's why I decided I couldn't go to the police and make a report against Bryce, no one will take me seriously Mason other than you' I'm on my own on this'

'You're not on your own on this Mari and I will try to support you in anyway that I can from now on'

'Thank you Mason for being so kind and understanding about everything' she sighed deeply. 'It felt good to finally be able to tell someone my story of that night. You promise you won't tell another soul what I've told you'

'I promise Mari'

Mari smiled weakly as I got up from my seat at the table whilst she tried to continue on with her paper assignment, I bid her goodbye and went back to my gym class for the remainder of the hour. For someone so young I admired her strength at wanting to bring down Bryce Walker, I would have her back if she wanted to try again someday…

School had finished for the day at the end of the week and everyone will be getting ready for the winter formal this evening. The four of us had agreed to carpool together to the dance so if we got bored or wanted a change of scene we could leave together at any time and make our own fun

Clay had arrived at the house at a quarter to seven and was waiting outside on the porch with Uncle Andy, I had walked down the corridor to Hannah's bedroom and knocked on the door lightly, waiting a few seconds before entering her room

'Clay's here' I stated the oblivious to her

'How do I look' Hannah asked nervously

'You look great in the dress Hannah, Clay is going to love it for sure'

'You don't think it says I'm trying too hard do you? I don't want to make a fool of myself or embarrass Clay for wearing something a little revealing'

'That's nonsense Hannah and you know it. Who says that your not allowed to wear a dress as gorgeous as that just because some guys can't control themselves and want to make themselves utter twats in front of you'

'I guess you're right Mason' she smiled happily. 'I should wear what makes me happy instead what people might think of me wearing a certain type of clothing'

'Fuck um that's what I say' I exclaimed, a small laughter escaping my lips. 'Say it with me Hannah'

'Fuck um'

We both replied in unison and a small fit of giggles followed right after we said the curse word together. Hannah finished touching up the final details of her makeup in front of the mirror and then we soon left to meet our guardians and Clay outside on the porch. Aunt Liv and Uncle Andy gasped in awe at how stunning their daughter looked

'You look super pretty babe I'm so glad you bought that dress' Aunt Liv gushed lovingly

Hannah stood in front of Clay waiting for any kind of approval from him, the boy couldn't take his eyes off his girlfriend as he eyed Hannah from her head to her toes. The look of pure love and devotion plastered across Clay's face as he finally took his girlfriend's hands

'You look really beautiful tonight Hannah in that dress'

'You like it? I chose this starry one just for you for your love of astronomy'

'I mean I like the dress and you know how much I can daydream about the stars but I love you more Hannah, more than anything in the world'

Clay dropped his hands from Hannah's grasp and placed them on the sides of her cheek, slowly drawing her closer to him and connected their lips together softly, the young couple shared a sweet and quick kiss together and rested their foreheads against each other.

I handed Clay his corsage box that he was going to present to Hannah to wear for the evening, he slipped on the flower bundle of red and white roses on Hannah's wrist. Before we were allowed to leave for the night Aunt Liv wanted to take some photo opportunities, I knew I would have to do the same again when we drove to Jessica's to pick her up for the night…..

After picking Jessica up and going through a photo shoot again with her parents we arrived on the school premises just after seven, Hannah parked up the Jeep in an empty spot near the school gates for a quick exit. The four of us entered the school gymnasium together to see the room was filled with large decoration everywhere you turned

The hall was dimly lit with lights flashing off the disco ball with crowds starting to gather in the large room, tables were set up in the back if you wanted to have a seat and catch a breather from tonight. We were greeted by various friends as they were scattered around the gymnasium and talking amongst themselves, Clay and Hannah decided to peel away and go and catch up with Tony who was working on the dj booth with Caleb

The jocks and cheerleaders claimed an area of the hall to themselves as we walked over to our friends. I greeted my core group of friends amongst the jocks that I could stand daily and was proud to call them my friends to anyone who asked

'Looking fly tonight Mason' Pablo proclaimed, flashing me a wink

'Thanks, you boys are looking dapper tonight yourselves'

'Do you fancy a drink?' Liam asked

'Sure why not'

'If you want to have a really good night then have the strawberry punch, if not stick with the fruit like the rest of us'

'Are you trying to say the bowl has been spiked'

'All I'm saying is that the jocks were already here first way ahead of time and the strawberry punch taste funny'

'Thanks for the heads up'

Going over to the refreshment table I picked up a plastic cup from the table and poured myself a cup of fruit punch. Clay and Hannah came to the table seconds later and were about to have some strawberry punch

'I'd stay clear of the strawberry if I were you'

'Why what's wrong with it?' Hannah proclaimed

'It's been spiked so unless you want to have a really good night then go for it'

'Thanks for the look out' Clay replied. 'Oh and I have sorted it with Tony for later'

'What are you boys planning now then' Hannah quizzed

'Wait and see babe and you'll be surprised as well'

'I hate when I'm kept in the dark from the both of us, I want in from now on' she chimped, feeling annoyed

'Ok no more secrets between the three of us now but I can't promise we'll end our bromance anytime soon' I teased

'You guys are just the worst I can't even….' Hannah groaned

'But you love us really' Clay proclaimed, winking at her

'You so have a lot of making up to do Helmet and you can make it up to me tonight for a start'

Hannah grabbed Clay by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer to her as she whispered something in his ear only for him to know, Clay's eyebrows shot up and was surprised what his girlfriend might have suggested. Their hands intertwined together as Hannah lead them back to the dancefloor

'We'll catch up later Mason' Clay stated, being pulled away by his girlfriend

I nodded my head and filled another plastic cup full of punch, walking back to my date for the evening I handed Jessica a drink, we took a small sip each from our cups and watched as couples made there way to the dancefloor for the slow songs being played

'I hope you're not going to abandoned me this evening Slick'

'I'm all yours for the night Jess'

Jessica leaned her head over so it rested against the side of my arm, there was no way I would be abandoning her tonight if not forever; I would show her tonight how much she meant to me…

As the evening drew on Clay and Hannah dragged the both of us away from the jocks and made us come dance with them. It was nice change of pace for the night whilst a song from Lady Gaga was played over the speakers, it was hard to hear the song from all the laughter we were having trying to throw some shapes

'You are still just as bad from before Slick' Jessica giggled

'It can only get better trust me'

Looking towards Clay I winked at him to which he gave a signal to Tony at the DJ booth that it was time, the pop song slowly faded out and a familiar song started to play over the speakers; if anyone loved old 80s songs then they would recognise this straight away.

True by Spandau Ballet had started and the people who came to the dance as couples started to pair up as the singletons walked off or came together with their friends for a slow dance. I turned to my date and placed my hands on her waist whilst Jessica looped her arms around my neck

'I haven't heard this in forever' Jessica whispered. 'I could dance to this all night, that's how good it is'

'I asked Tony to play this song for us tonight I kinda made a special request for it'

'Well I'm glad that you did Slick'

'There was another reason why I had asked for this song'

'Which is?' she questioned, raising a brow and totally unaware

'I wanna dance to this song with you Jess'

'But you don't know how to dance'

'I've been taking lessons for the last couple of weeks and I've had a very good teacher'

Jessica moved her gaze away from me and looked over at Clay and Hannah who were wrapped up into each other. Clay looked over and gave a quick wink before turning his attention back to Hannah. I dropped my hand from her Jessica's waist as our hands intertwined together

My body knew what to do after all the lessons I had from Clay, there were no nerves going through me as I drew Jessica away from me and gave her twirl before pulling back to me again. Our bodies were in tune with one another as I led us through a small dance with a couple of twirls

Coming to the end of the song I dropped a shoulder whilst Jessica fell back for a moment as the dance came to an end, pulling her back up to me I kept my arms wrapped around her waist

'Where did that come from Mason? A few weeks ago you couldn't even do a simple step'

'I wanted to surprise you Jess'

'Well you sure did that I didn't expect a dance out of you tonight'

'Well you go that extra mile to learn something for someone you love'

'You love me?'

Instead of answering her question I decided to show her instead as I bent my head down, our foreheads touching each other's gently. I didn't care that people were watching us as I made the first move, slowly pushing forward and connecting our lips gently, everything in that moment felt right and I didn't want the kiss to end, pulling away breathlessly I looked into her eyes

'I could get used to this' she sighed happily

'Me too'

This was the moment to finally make my move and nothing was going to stop me doing so,I wanted Jess to know I was serious about her. Cupping the sides of her face with the both of my hands I passionately kissed her again and put everything into that kiss, She was the only one I wanted…...

The dance had drawn to a close and we were on the drive back home to Jessica's, our hands were still locked together as we sat in the back of the Jeep. The ride didn't take long and eventually Hannah pulled the car over outside of Jessica's home to let us out, Jessica had invited me inside for a coffee to which Clay and Hannah had declined and wanted to call it a night. Jessica and I waved them off before entering her house and going into the main living room

'Everyone all asleep are they?' I asked

'Actually I've got a free house this weekend, the family have gone camping'

'Lucky you then'

'And while I've got a free house I want to make the most of it'

'Oh yeah and what will be doing?'

'Let me show you upstairs Slick'

A seductive smirk played across Jessica's lips as I felt her grab my shirt and pulled me closer to her, Looking into Jessica's eyes I knew what she desired and I wanted to fulfil that need. Without a second thought I sent my lips crashing down against Jessica's and kissed her passionately, our clothes were flying off bodies as I felt my suit jacket fall down my arms and hands started to pull down the zip on her dress. Jessica flew herself at me and wrapped her legs around my waist tightly as I carried her upstairs to her bedroom…..


	22. Chapter 22

I rolled over in my bed and saw a familiar face fast asleep beside me, Mason was out like a light from last night's excitement and I didn't want to disturb him as he slept. He looked so peaceful and this was a face I wouldn't mind waking up to every morning. Reaching over and delicately touching Mason's cheek his skin was so smooth to the touch of my fingertips

'You finished touching my face Jess' he groaned

I was given a small fright that he had spoken when I thought he was still fast asleep, Mason sleepily opened his eyes and sighed contently from my touch as he adjusted himself in my bed whilst sitting up and getting himself comfortable

'How long have you been awake?' I asked

'For about an hour' he replied. 'It looked like you were having a good dream so I didn't want to disturb you by getting out of the bed'

'Well I'm glad that you didn't Slick. For the first time in months I was able to have a peaceful night sleep'

'Nothing to do with last night was it'

'Don't flatter yourself too much Slick, you were good but….'

'Just good' he smirked, raising a brow suggestively

'Ok you were more than good Mason. It felt good to feel pleasure again when I thought I couldn't do it again because of what happened before in this room you know'

'I totally understand that Jess'

'Because we had done it and my mind didn't go there at all last night, and now it's the only thing I can think about'

'You want to go again?' he asked hopefully

I nodded my head and slipped my hand underneath the covers, finding his member and gently stroking it till it became hard. Mason kissed my lips gently and placed his hand over my sensitive mound and pushed a finger inside of me, softly stroking me as I did the same to him to quickly get us more aroused and in the mood

'Do you have another condom Mason'

'Yeah give me a minute' he groaned in pleasure

Mason reached over to the night stand to retrieve his wallet and pull out another contraceptive. He rolled on the condom before hovering his body over me again, he was hesitant as I could feel his member besides my thigh whist Slick pushed a few stances of hair back behind my ear, I bore my eyes into his and saw nothing but love and affection behind his blue eyes

'I just want you to know that I love you so much Jessica'

'I love you too Mason'

Dipping his head down and capturing our lips together I felt the full force of his love for me, I put the same amount of effort back into the kiss as I cupped his face. Wrapping my right leg around his waist I nudged him forward in a small jurk action, I could feel Mason's smile against my lips as he positioned his member closer at my entrance, entering slowly and pulling out, teasing me. I held his back and locked my legs around his waist, keeping him inside of me…..

An hour later Mason had changed back into his clothes from last night and I saw him out of the house. going back into my bedroom I picked up my phone and saw a new text message from Hannah, asking if I wanted to meet up at Monet's in an hour for a coffee and a catch up; sending a reply back immediately that I can't wait to see her there

I arrived at the coffee shop early and ordered two hot chocolates at the counter before finding our F.M.L table in the back of the shop. Sitting on my own at the table I scrolled through my socials and saw cute pictures of couples from last night's dance, sensing a presence of someone taking the empty seats in front of me at the table I dropped my phone down

'What do you want Zach?' I enquired

'Hey Jessica' he greeted me. 'Do you know where I can find Mason'

'How would I know where he is? He isn't my boyfriend and I certainly don't have constant tabs on him'

'I only ask because I saw you two leave the dance together last night not that I'm suggesting anything of course'

'Of course not' I muttered under my breath. 'Have you tried his home'

'I've already been and there seems to be no response when I ring the doorbell'

'That seems a bit weird he should be home right now' I exclaimed. 'Is there any message I can pass onto him for you Zach'

'I'd rather tell Mason what I need to tell him myself Jess but thanks anyway' he replied. 'Just tell him that I want a word with him will you Jess'

'Sure'

I nodded my head whilst talking to Zach when I hadn't noticed Hannah enter the coffee shop, spotting us both and coming over to our table to join us. Zach got up out of the chair space and bidded us both goodbye before leaving the store, Hannah took the empty seat as a barista dropped our two hot chocolates on our table

'I wasn't distributing you both was I' Hannah enquired, looking back at the window as we saw Zach leave to his car

'No not at all Hannah' I assured

'What did Zach want? Nothing to do with Justin was it'

'It was the entire opposite actually he wanted ask if I know where your cousin was'

'Well he's home right now but I don't know where he got to last night' she smirked. 'Do you know where he was Jess'

'You're literally going to play these games till I tell you where Mason ended up last night ain't you'

'So you do know where he was then, me and Clay were worried sick when he didn't come home last night' Hannah teased

'After you guys dropped us off outside my house last night, we spent the whole night together'

'You guys went all the way then' she remarked. 'Sorry Jess that's too personal to ask, you don't have to answer that'

'No it's fine Hannah we did end up sleeping together last night'

'And how was it'

'It was good, really good. I felt everything what I wanted to feel with him since you know' I remarked

'Yeah I understand what you mean Jess'

'So Slick told me something last night as well about you and Clay' I proclaimed, wanting to get my own back and tease her till she spilt some juicy gossip as well

'Did he now? What did Mason say to you' Hannah chirped

'Slick said you guys had a free house as well last night' I proclaimed. 'Where did Clay end up last night then'

'Oh you know down my house again'

'And what did you two love birds do when you finally made it back to that big and empty home last night'

'Just slept in my bed together'

'Just sleep nothing more?' I smirked

'Ok since you're dying to know the juicy details Jess, we did end up sleeping together as well'

'That's great that you guys have take another step forward in your relationship, was last night Clay's first time'

Hannah just nodded her head whilst taking a sip of her hot chocolate and held the warm cup in her hand. 'It was his first time and Clay was good, just need a little more practise to get a bit better but last night was really romantic when we went that next step further together'

'Whilst you were doing it with Clay did your mind at all ever went to what Bryce had done to you in his hot tube'

'That didn't happen at all last night because I kinda decorated my room a little with fairy lights above my bed to create an atmosphere' she explained. 'Did your mind go to your party last year?'

'I was scared that it would but it didn't and I'm thankful for that' I proclaimed. 'No matter how many times I try not to think about it, what Bryce had done to me will always stay with me'

'I have the exact same thoughts as you Jess, nothing we do now will ever shake them away'

Whilst having our hot chocolates we changed the topic away from Bryce and talked about what our families will be doing over christmas, I learnt from Hannah that her family will be staying in Crestmont over the holidays, we decided to hang out over the festive period since we both would be in town instead of visiting families in other states…..

No matter how many times we changed the topic between us our thoughts were always going back to Bryce. I know Mason was trying his hardest to get us both to change our minds about pressing charges against him but I never truly know how Hannah felt about the situation going forward

'Have you ever thought about going forward to the police Hannah' I enquired, need to know where she stands with the idea

'You sound just like Mason' she retorted, probably tired of hearing it from him multiple times at home since he came to live with them

'We haven't really talked about it just me and you Hannah. I know were getting pressure to report it but I don't know how you really feel about it'

'I want to report it to the police but I just feel so helpless at times, because of my reputation who is going to believe the class slut over the most popular jock in Liberty'

'Hate to sound cliche but you would have the rest of your family to back you up to the police, you have your friends as well'

'It would just be another notch against my name that the class slut is making a big deal out of nothing but everyone doesn't have a clue what really happened to us and what we're going through right now'

'It's a terrible secret that we both know and I hate to think Bryce has done this to other girls as well'

'Do you think he's capable of commiting another rape' Hannah whispered, trying not to draw attention about our conversation

'I want to say no but deep down I know I would be just lying to myself Hannah'

'I would be surprised if we're his only victims, he's a callous and cold man' Hannah admitted. 'I like to believe there is some good in everyone but people like him, he's the devil incarnate Jess, he will never have my sympathy ever'

'I just want to see him behind bars for the rest of his life but I know he won't ever get a sentence like that'

'Bryce would only get a fine instead of a prison sentence with the wealth that he's got behind him'

'You really think so Hannah' I stated, raising a brow

'I've done my research regarding our penal codes in the state, Bryce will be lucky if he does a prison sentence that he has to do the full sixteen years for the both of us'

'Only that long Hannah? Just sixteen years'

'He will buy away half of that sentence if it's ever given to Bryce' she explained. 'I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news on that Jess'

I huffled loudly and finished off the rest of my hot chocolate in angest, it just wasn't fair that if you get a prison sentence for rape in California you only get a maximum of eight years. This was only another reasons for me not to come forward to the police about Bryce, would he learn anything from prison and repent for his acts after serving only half of that sentence, I highly doubt Bryce would and he'll go back to his old ways of raping women when they were unconious like myself or not in control of a situation when they back into a corner by him

I was done talking about Bryce for the day and wanted to totally put him in the back of my mind for now, suggesting the idea of retail therapy to Hannah. We quickly left the coffee shop to start our morning of shopping and treat ourselves to some new clothes and make up in the town…..

With bags of new clothes in our hands and going back to Hannah's we expected to see the boys back there as well, entering through the front door of the Baker residence we found the living room quiet and empty. They must be out somewhere getting up to god knows what shenanigans

'Let's dump the bags into my room' she informed me

I followed Hannah around her house as she led us to her bedroom, pushing open the door we dropped our shopping bags down on her small moon chair as my gaze went over to her alarm clock to see what the time was

'Do you want to order a takeout' I asked her, seeing it was past half twelve

'Sure why not, what did you have in mind'

'Subway'

Hearing the sounds of soft muffling coming from Mason's bedroom I raised my eyebrows suggestively to Hannah, quietly making our way over to his room the two of us busted through into Mason's room, startling both of the boys as they were sat on the bed and pushing stuff down the sides of it

'What are you both up to in here?' I questioned

'Can't you guys knock first before jumping into my room' he protested

'Got something to hide have we?'

'Just a little privacy would be nice'

'Anyway we wanted to know if you wanted to just us for lunch, we're getting Subway' Hannah informed them

'Sure we'll join you'

Clay and Hannah ordered our lunch through the UberEats app on their phone whilst we were all sitting in Mason's bedroom. Reaching over to some unmarked dvd that were sat on his chest of draws I flicked through then to find out what they were as they sparked my curiosity

'What movies are on these dvds' I asked Mason

Mason and Clay's faces dropped from what was in my hand as they turned their attention towards me, I knew it wasn't some movie they might have copied or borrowed from a friend. Something really important was on these discs and I wanted to know what it was, if they didn't tell me I would find out for myself and watch it

'Why don't we watch something else' Slick suggested, trying to take the disc from my grasp

'Why can't we watch what are on theses'

'Believe me you wouldn't want to Jess'

'I thought you both promised me there wouldn't be anymore secrets between the three of us anymore' Hannah interjected, eyes both Clay and Mason up

'I know what we both promised you Hannah at the dance but trust us on this, you both do not want to watch it'

'Sooner or later Jess and I are going to find out what's on them so you might as well tell us now' Hannah stated

'Let's watching something else babe' Clay exclaimed, taking his girlfriend's hand and gaining her attention only

'Like what'

'I don't know maybe a rom com or a horror movie'

'If it's horror then it has to be a zombie movie for sure' I stated

Clay agreed to the movie suggestion as Hannah and I high fived each other on our accomplishment, looking over to Mason and seeing him getting distracted by his phone I saddled up to next him on his bed. I placed my hand along his thigh and gain his focus back to me, leaning in closer to Slick

'What do you think babe' I asked

'Sounds perfect'

Mason smiled softly and leaned his head over to me, nearing my lips and was inches away from them as we heards sounds of disgust from Hannah and Clay. I pulled my head away from Mason's and looked at the couple whilst raising a brow, counting the times we hadn't said anything when they were doing their public display of affection in front of us

'Get a room you two' Clay and Hannah teased

'We are already in a room' I counter protested

'Then get another room' Hannah stated

Mason and I picked up a pillow each off his head and threw them at Clay and Hannah, hitting them at the side of their bodies before they caught it and throwing it back to us. They soon left Mason's bedroom to make our orders for lunch to be delivered, seeing that they were gone I cupped Mason's cheek and drew him near, gently kissing his lips as I could feel his lips turn into a smile

We waited for the food to arrive before starting our film of World War Z in the living room, whilst digging into our Subway sandwiches Mason's phone kept on going off during the film, drawing his attention away when he always ignored his phone during a movie session together.

'Everything alright' I asked quietly, nudging his arm slightly

'Yeah nothing to worry about' he tried to reassure, turning his phone over so it was face down on the couch

I could tell Mason was lying to me as he was acting out of character and doing things that he usually didn't do, casting my gaze towards the window of the living room I could just about make out the distinct four rings on the front of a vehicle, slowly pulling away from the other side of the road and driving down the street. There was only one person I knew who drove a silver Audi everywhere, I wondered what Zach Dempsey was doing here at the Baker residence and what he wanted with Mason…..


	23. Chapter 23

Christmas and new year had come and passed during the two weeks we were off school with the holidays. Throughout the winter break we had kept our promise to Clay and Hannah to spend as much time with them as our other friends had left the town of Crestmont to spend time with their families in different parts of the country

After much deliberating between myself and Jessica we thought it was the right time to go public on our socials about the change in our relationship. It was safe to say we had mixed reactions to our news, Justin took the liberty of sending death threats to our union in my direct messages. Right now Jesica and I wanted to live in the moment and be happy with each other at our new found love

I wasn't really bothered by Jusitn threats because they had never amounted to anything before, the first day back to school should be interesting when we walk down the halls hand in hand together

On the night before the resumption of the academic year I decided to surprise Jessica and hang out tonight with her. I lay on the side of my body next to Jessica on her bed in her bedroom, with the door shut of her bedroom I couldn't but help hear the sounds of footsteps tracing in the corridor every few minutes from her parents walking by

'Just ignore them Slick they'll get bored eventually'

'Well it's a bit hard to Jess'

'Don't worry they are not going to bust through the door'

'You don't think my aunt and uncle do the same when Clay comes around to spend time with Hannah'

'Slick has anyone ever told you, you worry too much' she sympathised. 'Just relax'

'And has anyone ever told you Jess how beautiful you are'

'Only you for the hundredth time'

'And I will continue to tell you for a hundred more'

'You're too sweet Slick'

Jessica placed her hand against the side of my face and stroked my cheek with her thumb, dipping my head down towards her I softly pressed my lips against Jessica's. The sweet taste of the kiss lingering on my lips as soon as we pulled away, hearing a noise from the door I turned my head towards that direction

'Now you're just being paranoid' she teased

'I don't know why but everytime I go closer to you I think one of them is going to come in here at that exact moment'

'Let me put that worry to bed for you'

Jessica rolled off her bed and quickly walked to her bedroom door, she pushed across the latch on the door and bolted it shut. I couldn't help but notice the small smirk play across her lips as she made her way back to me seductively

'Has that put you at ease Slick?'

'It has now'

Jessica climbed back up onto the bed and straddled my lap with her legs placed on either side of me. I was massively turned on when Jessica took the lead and passionately kissed my lips, pulling away after a couple of kisses and helped me to discard my t-shirt from my body

The moment she threw my t-shirt behind her I connected our lips together and rolled us over in her bed, Jessica looked up as I hovered over her and moved my lips away from her and down the side of her cheek then her jaw. I let out a ragged breath whilst the tip of my nose trickled back up to her neck

'What are we doing Jess?'

'What do you mean Slick' she panted heavily. 'I don't want you to stop'

'You're parents are only downstairs and we're about to…'

'Oh crap'

Rolling off Jessica's body and back down on my side of the bed, I stared up at the ceiling till I felt Jessica shift closer to me in her bed and rest her head against my bare chest, drawing circles on my peck as I moved my gaze back down to her touch

'Do you want to try something different?' She asked hopefully

'Like what'

'I know we haven't done this yet but I'm willing if you are' Jessica explained. 'Oral sex'

I've had experience before with previous girlfriends back home in Nevada when it came to different type of sex but I never knew Jessica was so open minded about it. I guess if we couldn't physically be close together with her parents downstairs then orally would do

I nodded my head and watched Jessica take total control of the situation as she moved her head away from my bare chest. Her hand trailed down my bare torso and came to my blue jeans whilst flicking open the button and then pulling down the zip, Jessica's fingers curled under the band of my jeans and boxer briefs and pulled them down with one hell of a force

My jeans and boxers curled around my ankles and I kicked them off my body and straight to the floor, I was fully exposed in front of Jessica on her bed as she was fully dressed. Before I could say anything Jessica wrapped her hands around the bottom of her t-shirt and pulled it over her head, throwing her item of clothing down next to mine as she undid her bra next

'You are so beautiful Jess'

A small red blushed ascended over her cheeks whilst she dipped her head down, cupping her jaw I drew Jessica's gaze back to me. 'You're just saying that'

'You are stunning Jess and that blush is fucking beautiful. How did I get so lucky to be with you'

Jessica didn't respond but let her action do the talking. I felt her kisses course it's way down my chest and stop at my waist, her gentle touch wrapped around me as she held me in her hand

'You don't have to Jess if you don't want to'

'You're sweet Slick but I want too'

Jessica reached back and kissed me quickly before returning to my waist. Her warm breath lingered over my hardened member before she bobbed her head up and down, the sensation sent a shirl of pleasure down inside of me and I knew I wouldn't be able to last long inside of Jessica….

In what felt like forever I was able to finally hit my release as it surged through my member, falling back on the bed exhausted I waited for Jessica to fall against my warm chest as she wiped away at her mouth

'You enjoyed?' she asked

'I loved it Jess'

' Well I aim to please'

'That you sure did babe' I turned us over quickly so I was on top of her. 'Now it's my turn Jess'

Kissing her lips quickly I took my time to kiss her all over before starting to make my way down,I wanted Jess to know I loved every part of her. My lips left a trail of kisses down her chest as she moaned in pleasure from the touch, I finally reached Jessica's waist and deeply pressed my lips against both of her tights. Casting my gaze to her I waited for another single that what I was about to do was ok with her, Jessica nodded her head that I could continue with what I was doing and I proceeded to perform cunnalingus on her…

After a few hours we both lay naked in her bed and stared into each other's eyes, everything seemed so perfect right now but we had the reality of going back to school tomorrow and people knowing about the change in our relationship

'What are you thinking about?' Jessica whispered, gaining my attention

'Should we be open about our relationship in front of everyone tomorrow'

'Are you ashamed of me Slick'

'Never Jess' I assured her. 'How could you even say that'

'Then I think we should just carry on with the way that we are now'

'You don't think it's too soon for us to be showing off that we're together'

'We haven't done anything wrong Slick'

'I know but'

'Always the worrier'

'I just can't help but overthink everything and what people might say'

'You haven't done anything wrong and it's not like you have stolen me away from Justin. We were both single at the time'

'It's the stupid guy code that no doubt will be mentioned when all the boys are left alone in the locker room to me'

'When did you care about codes? I thought you broke all the rules'

'As long as I have you Jess you're worth breaking all the rules for'

Leaning over I saw a cute smile plastered across her face before sealing our lips together. I got up from the bed and reached over for my clothes on the floor, seconds later a felt a small amount of weight hit my back, seeing Jessica's arms wrap around my shoulders

'Stay the night' she sighed contently

'I can't Jess'

'Please'

Turning around so I was facing her I kissed her lips again and fell besides Jessica as she tugged at my arm. Shifting ourselves in her bed I spooned up behind Jessica, throwing an arm over her waist protectively as we snuggled down and drifted off to sleep…..

The next day at school we had decided to take the plunge and walk into the building hand in hand, going through the main entrance of the doors we walked down the hallway to our lockers, the constant gossip and glaring eyes filled the hallway as usual when someone new was occurring before everyone's eyes

'What is everyone staring at?' I whispered to Jess

'Just ignore them they'll be gossiping about something else later when they are bored of us'

To get to our lockers there was no avoiding the jocks as they hung out in front of Bryce and Justin's locker, without even looking in their direction I could just feel the daggers in my back for betraying Justin and getting with his ex-girlfriend. I decided to push those thoughts away and concentrate on the day ahead by grabbing what I needed for my first couple of classes, not long later Clay and Hannah came saddling up besides us

'You guys getting those weird looks off people' Clay asked

'How did you know?' I stated

'Same thing happened to us when we first started dating and came together hand in hand' Hannah replied

'At least you're not getting death stares from the jocks' Jessica interjected

'There was no avoiding that Jess, it was always going to happen some point today'

'I wish they would just get a life and mind their own business instead of looking judgingly at everyone else when something new happens'

'At least we don't have any jocks in any of our classes' Hannah sympathised

'But there's no avoiding them at break'

'Then we'll have ours outside on the bleachers' I suggested

'We'll freeze' Hannah groaned

'I'll keep you warm' Clay replied, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek

'We'll meet you guys there then at break' I stated

Clay and Hannah agreed and said their goodbyes before going off together to our homeroom. As the school bell rang in the hallway the masses of students started to disperse for their classes, closing my locker I turned to Jessica who was leaning against the side of the wall

'You're gonna be late' I teased

'I know I'm just waiting for everyone to leave'

''So you can do what?'

'This'

Jessica wrapped her arms around neck and pulled me closer to her as our body crashed into each other's, I couldn't stop the smile forming on my face and anticipated the contact of our lips touching one another, cupping Jessica's cheek with my right hard I deepened the kiss and heard the sound of contentment radiating from her

Pulling apart from each other's close embrace the sound of the second bell went for the start of the school day, the two of us left alone in the hallway but I couldn't help but feel someone watching us at the other end of the corridor, her ex-boyfriend Justin Foley stood on with an unamused look pouting his lips, he clearly couldn't wait for a private moment to chat to us as he wanted it out now

'Get to homeroom Jess I'll meet you there'

Jessica didn't argue with me as she went one way and I went the other to meet Justin Foley, for someone who just found out his recent ex-girlfriend had moved onto someone else from the baseball team he took it quite well, deep down inside of him I knew he wanted to punch me in the face

'What do you want Foley' I questioned, raising a brow

'So when did you and Jessica get together'

'What does it matter to you'

'Because she was my girlfriend'

'That being the past tense Foley' I corrected. 'And we would appreciate if you left the both of us alone from now on'

I didn't give Justin the chance to respond to me as I turned on my heels and made my way to homeroom, he wasn't going to be done with it here and he'll bring it up again in practise later with the whole team to hear what he had to say still

'Call yourself a brother' Justin exclaimed loudly

Ignoring his call behind me I made my way to my homeroom, this whole brother mantra will be notioned again when we all meet up for practice, something I was getting tired of hearing of…..

The school day had ended and surprisingly the rest of the jocks hadn't bothered me at all during the day. Bryce and his boys had left the premises and I was only left with Vincent, Liam, Zach and Justin in the weight room

Coach Patrick came bursting through the doors and his eyes searched around the room, finally landing on me with a muse of excitement on his face, dropping the dumbbells from my hands down on the bench I was curious with what he wanted with me now, Coach Patrick wrapped an arm around my shoulders and swayed me to follow him

'I've got some amazing news' he proclaimed

'Well don't keep me in the dark what is it?'

'I've got video evidence of Mateo boxing that I think you should see'

'That's great coach'

Coach Patrick handed me a copy of a dvd that I placed into my workout shorts out of view from the others in the gym. I was then ushered into the ring by Coach Patrick as he stood to one side and I had slipped on some gloves for some pointers

'Come and get in the ring Vincent' Coach Patrick called out

A few moments later Vincent slid into the boxing ring and wore some padded gloves, Coach Patrick gave him his instructions on what to this training exercise. Liam, Zach and Justin crowded around the edge of the ring and watched on

'Pay attentions boys and you might learn a thing or to' he exclaimed

Watching some of the footage from Coach Patrick's phone I saw Mateo can't really block his left side so well. 'If you're gonna win then you need to target that area as much as you can before giving him a KO'

'All of that is on the footage' I proclaimed

'From his last couple of fights in the state, just review it when you get the chance' he informed me. 'Enough talking let's box'

Lifting up my padded gloves in front of me I stepped forward to Vincent, as instructed by Coach Patrick I got ready to jab at his left side of the body, throwing a few shots as sounds of winces came from Vincent. Picking my gaze back up I saw a smirking Bryce Walker stood in front of me

'What the fuck' I whispered under my breath

'_What's the matter Mason? expecting to see someone else' _

'_You ain't really here' _

'_You see me don't you Slick' _

'_Only Jess is allowed to call me that' _

'_She'll be calling you something else after the fight'_

'_And what's that?'_

'_Loser' _

'_Real funny Walker, haven't you got anything original ' _

'_When you are knocked out by Mateo everyone will see who you really are, a fraud a con artist and the biggest loser this school has ever seen'_

'_I'm one of the best in this state'_

'_So you claim to be'_

'_I know that I am and I don't have to prove anything to you'_

'_You keep telling yourself that Slick' he proclaimed, coming a couple steps forward to me.'Oh and I'd watch the right hook'_

'_What?'_

A fist came flying across my face and connected powerfully with my jaw, sending me down onto the ground as I looked up where the fist had come from. Vincent ripped off the gloves and threw them on the floor before kneeling down besides me, placing a hand on my back and helping me to my feet again

'Are you alright Mason?' he asked, concerned by the force of the punch he had given

'What happened'

'You were just shouting nonsense at me and Coach Patrick just kept urging me to strike you'

'What was I saying?'

'It was just random, none of it really made any sense'

'You ok still to box Mason' Coach Patrick stated, placing his hand on my arm. 'Let's go again because you still need to work on your game if you want to be ready in time'

'Do you think that's wise Coach' Vincent exclaimed

'I'm alright really' I interjected

'Clearly Mason has a problem keeping his focus and we need to practise on that'

'Buddy just sit out today's training and go again tomorrow when you got your head straight' he sympathized. 'I'm worried about you'

'Maybe Vincent is right Coach'

'Fine but if you lose the fight then it's on your head for not taking your training seriously'

I nodded my head and struggled out of the ring with Vincent, Liam came up to my left side and wrapped an arm around me for support while they both led me to the locker room. The sounds of phone notifications were going off in the lockers with no doubts that either Justin or Zach had put something up onto the team groupchat

'We'll walk you home Mason' Vincent informed me

I didn't argue with my friends as they only had my best interests at heart so I just nodded again. This was the first time that I had ever hallucinated anyone before in my life and it scared me to death, god knows why I hallucinated Bryce Walker when we hadn't spoken in weeks

The doors to the locker room slowly creaked open and a tall figure entered into the space, my mind was still racing and trying to come back to normal when the figure stepped forwards to me. Zach Dempsey came into view and I curious as to why he would be checking on me since we're not that close of friends

'How are you feeling Mason'

'I'm doing ok I guess'

'That's good' he nodded, clearly we were having trouble even making small talk with each other

'Clearly you want something from me Zach so what is it'

'I still need a moment to talk to you alone about something important'

'It will have to wait for another time Zach, I'm not really in the moods for talks and I just want to get home'

'Just come and meet me somewhere because I'm done playing cat and mouse. What I have to tell you will be of very much importance'

Zach left the locker room again and went back to the weight room to join Coach Patrick and Justin. Liam had grabbed my stuff out of the locker and walked with me and Vincent as we left the school and headed back to my house, I just hope that I don't have anymore hallucinations of Bryce in the future….


	24. Chapter 24

The hallucinations carried into the night and I had a restless night worth of sleep. tossing and turning all over before getting up for the day without any sleep at all. Checking my phone I saw that I had a text message from Zach, asking if we could meet up somewhere at school and have a chat in private

I knew I couldn't avoid Zach Dempsey forever and I might as well see what information he had that he so desperately wanted to share with me. I highly doubt Zach would be on his own mission to take down Bryce Walker when he considered him to be a brother.

Texting Zach back I told him to meet me in the courtyard opposite the cafeteria before school started, he declined to meet me there but suggested I wait for him at the front of the school gates half hour before school started.

After my usual morning walk to school with Clay, Hannah and Jessica I bidded them goodbye as they wanted to get inside and out of the cold. Looking at either side of the road every now and again there was no sign of Zach Dempsey, minutes later a familiar silver Audi crawled up along side of the road as the window rolled down

'Get in'

Doing what I was instructed I got into Zach's car as he pulled away from the side of the road of the school, driving down the road to a side street a couple of blocks away from view of passing students

'So what's with the secrecy Zach?'

'It's best that we're out of view from everyone'

'Why can't you talk to me on campus? Afraid to be seen speaking to me'

'The information I give you is for your ears only Mason, word can't get out that I've said something to you from any busy body at school and there are plenty of them there'

'How can I trust you Zach? You haven't given me a reason to before so why should I believe anything you say now'

'Because I know you're on a secret mission to take down Bryce'

'You don't know everything' I exclaimed. 'How can I know Bryce hasn't put you up to this so you can report back to him what I know already of his past'

'It maybe hard for you to believe but I want you to succeed in bring Bryce to justice'

'I thought you guys were friends, the best even'

'I call all of them my brothers which they are but I don't agree with their actions sometimes just like I call you a brother as well even when we have nothing in common except the team'

'So why haven't you tried to stop him if you know what Bryce gets up to'

'I tried once before to betray him but Bryce had promised to rape my little sister if I ever reported him to the cops'

'So you have been vowed to silence then' I exclaimed

'I didn't have many other choices but to accept Mason. You on the other hand have the will to bring him down for what he had done to Hannah and Jessica'

'How could you possibly know what happened to Hannah and Jessica'

'I was there on both nights when Bryce raped them but I didn't see it, I saw their polaroids in his private box after what he had done and pieced it all together'

'You sure do know a lot about Bryce's private habits'

'A long time ago I was walking down the same path as your own right now and wanted to collect any evidence I can to put forward to the police'

'Maybe you can be of help to me one day if I need you Zach' I suggested the idea

'Just say when and I'll be all the help you need Mason'

'Since you were collecting evidence Zach what else have you uncovered that I might not know of?' I asked hopefully

'I was only collecting evidence for two weeks before Bryce made his threat to me but I managed to track down a rape victim of his'

'What's her name?'

'Gwen Thomas' he admitted

'Isn't she a friend of Amanda Mcintyre'

I was sure I had heard that name before in the locker room amongst the guys when they were bragging about which girls they had slept with in the past. The last time I spoke to Amanda I never really asked if she thought her ex-boyfriend could have potentially went after her friends

'She transferred over to HillCrest midway through freshman year' Zach informed me. 'Not much was said why she had transferred but it wouldn't take two guesses to know why'

'Are you in any contact with her still?'

'We talk every now and again but I can get Gwen to meet you if you like Mason'

'Can you get her to meet me in City Gym after school finishes today'

'I can try but don't expect anything if she doesn't want to talk about what happened' he sighed deeply. 'It was hard for Gwen to tell me so she might not open up to you'

'It's been hard for the others to open up to me and difficult to hear their stories without feeling their pain'

'I can't even begin to imagine how hard it must have been for you to hear so many stories but Gwen's story will shock you the most'

'That bad?'

'I was shook for days that Bryce could do what he did'

After hearing the stories I had become immune to them but I was still troubled no one knew anything and wasn't willing to do anything about it. Counting the girls off on my fingers Bryce was close to assaulting at least ten young woman, innocent lives destroyed by him when the man couldn't care less about consent or the girls afterwards

'I couldn't help but overhear you saying that you had no luck finding Bobby Reid'

'Yeah I've been trying to track him down for weeks but no one seems to know him or where he is at the minute'

'I can help you on that'

'You know Bobby'

'Yeah I know Bobby, I can tell you who is he and where he's hiding right now'

'How would you know any of this information? at the time he disappeared you were in freshman year and no freshman are allowed on sports teams'

'Bobby lived in my neighbourhood and we were close friends, practically inseparable sometimes. After the incident at the baseball field his family moved away but didn't tell anyone where they had gone' Zach informed me

'I've got some questions I want to ask him, not all of them are about Bryce but about Coach Patrick as well'

'Well he's free tonight if you're not to busy with Gwen to meet up afterwards'

'I'll text you Zach if I've got the time later to meet Bobby today'

'Alright Mason' he sighed contently. 'I'm glad we could have this chat and I think we've reached some common ground'

'Well now I can officially call you a brother' I exclaimed. 'I've got your back Zach if you ever need it'

'Likewise'

We fist bumped each other and respected the new found friendship between us, Zach agreed to do some reconnaissance work on Bryce and report back any activity that could be of any use in court. The lengths Zach was willing to go to get justice for the girls as well was remarkable, If he was to be caught being a whistleblower anything could end up happening to him. I couldn't let him become another Bobby Reid and disappear off the face of the earth…

School went without incident and no one was the wiser about the new arrangement between Zach and I. It was best that we stayed silent so I didn't even mention to my close friends on the team or my social bubble what I knew from Zach or plan to do with it. Too much was riding on today to be messed up on my part when I would speak to Gwen or Bobby…...

In the punch bag area of City Gym I was casually hitting the punch bag whilst waiting for Gwen to show up, my mind wasn't really focused on boxing the last couple of days and when I did practise with Clay I wasn't feeling like myself in front of the bag. Finding my mojo back could be a tough ask in a short amount of time before the fight

The door to the gym opened and a thin girl strolled into the store, her gaze searching around before landing on me. The young woman walked over with a curious look on her face as she reread something on her phone before looking back at me

'Are you Mason?' she asked curiously

'I am and you must be Gwen right'

She nodded her head and I ushered Gwen to follow me into the back living space of the large unit, we were alone in Caleb's apartment as I told him I needed the space for an hour or two so we were not seen by anyone passing by. Sitting down on the couch I could sense she was agitated and unsure of being left alone with me, probably bad experience with other jocks that she must have encountered

'I bet you're wondering why Zach asked you to meet me here today' I proclaimed

'I was surprised to say the least when he texted me during the day, we mostly talk at night every now and again' she explained. 'I don't even know who you are and I don't know why I even agreed to meet you'

'Whatever you think of the jocks at Liberty I aint like them at all so you don't have to be so nervous around me'

'Zach did say that I could trust you'

'A lot of girls have trusted me recently with their stories and I hope that you can as well'

'You haven't told anyone what the others have told you'

'I just want to know how many victims there are out there after I learnt my girlfriend and my cousin was raped by Bryce recently'

'So Zach has told you what happened to me?'

'He only told me you are one of his victims but he never told what happened' I exclaimed. 'You don't have to tell him anything if you don't want to but if you do then it is said in confidence'

'If you are trustworthy as Zach says you are then I can tell you what happened'

I nodded my head and prepared for the worst from the reminder Zach had told me this morning. Gwen wiped away tears from her eyes that had started to roll down her cheeks, I only felt sympathy whenever any of the girls opened themselves up to me so I reached over and placed my hand over hers

'It's ok if you can't Gwen I understand'

'It happened a few years ago at a summer party at Bryce's house, a few of us planned to crash the night there since his family was gone for the summer'

'I'm guessing he took advantage of you when everyone was passed out drunk that night'

'I don't know why he was so interested in me when he was dating my best friend Amanda at the time, I never showed any interest in him in anyway even in a joking flirting way'

'My god' I whispered under my breath

'I was staying in his little sister's bedroom when he creeped into the bedroom in the middle of the night' she informed me. 'I thought he was just sleepwalking or something till I saw what was in his hand'

'What did Bryce have Gwen?' I questioned, from his previous assault I heard he never did carry a weapon with him

'Bryce had a gun with him and locked us in the bedroom. I was at his mercy that night'

'I am so sorry Gwen that he pulled a gun on you like that'

'I had no choice but to follow through with his demands as he told me to strip naked whilst I was in bed' she proclaimed. 'Bryce took off his night clothes and climbed into the bed, he then proceeded to rape me'

'Jesus'

'Whilst he was raping me Bryce kept the gun close to my head and slapped me across the face with it several times. I feared he would kill me that night after he was done and once he was finished I couldn't sleep at all that night as I thought it was my fault somehow that I let it happen'

'You know that's bullshit Gwen, you never did anything wrong that night'

'That's why I transferred to Hillcrest as quickly as I did so I wouldn't have to face Bryce or Amanda again'

'Does Amanda know what has happened to you?'

'How can I tell my best friend that her boyfriend raped me' Gwen stated. 'I was single at the time and she was very much in love with Bryce, she was just going to presume that I was just jealous of them and wanted a boyfriend of my own'

'From what I know of Amanda and what has happened to her, she would have believed you without a doubt'

'Bryce would have twisted the story to suit his narrative if I spoke out about what happened'

'Since your rape have you reported it yet to the police Gwen'

'I did report it to the police but the next day I withdraw my statement before they could arrest Bryce'

'Why did you withdraw Gwen?'

'When I thought about what would happen next it all just came too much for me to go through. I was put on antidepressants for over a year to cope and had to see a therapist to stop having these suicidal thoughts'

'I don't want you to think that I blame you or anything for withdrawing your statement, it's your choice what you decided to do what is best for you'

'Withdrawing my statement I feel like I've enabled Bryce to rape whoever he wants without having any consequences'

'I don't think that would have changed a damn thing Gwen, once he had got a taste for it he was always going to keep doing it again'

We continued to talk about how Gwen's freshman year at Liberty went and the shift in her personality after the assault, Zach had told me she became more reserved and quiet as she settled into her new life at Hillcrest and distanced herself from her friends back at Liberty.

Gwen and I both came to the realisation that she might have been Bryce's first victim, from what I knew of the others I kept that to myself and didn't indulge in giving any information to Gwen, everything said to me was in the utmost respect and confidence

'Thank you Mason for just listening to my story' she smiled weakly. 'Zach was right when he said I should trust you'

'Everything is going to be alright from now on Gwen'

'I sure hope so'

Reaching over I wrapped my arms around the young woman and held her close, feeling my phone buzz in my jeans. I ignored my phone and gently rubbed my hand against the side of her arm. Moments later we pulled away and waved goodbye to each other as Gwen saw herself out of the apartment

I pulled out my phone from my jean pocket and saw that I had a message from Zach, he managed to get a hold of Bobby Reid and asked if it was possible to meet up tonight. Second later another text came through from Jessica, asking If I wanted to meet up tonight; I knew I would have hell to pay if I bailed on her to meet Bobby…..

Making some excuse to Jessica that I was a bit under the weather and not feeling up to it, I promised to spend time with her another night; I hated the fact I had to lie to my own girlfriend about where I was tonight. Entering Rosie's diner I was escorted to a booth and waited as instructed by Bobby for his arrival, I ordered myself a large soda and looked around the premises. Familiar faces every which way I turned before dropping my gaze and taking a sip of my drink

Seeing the shadow of someone sitting down in the opposite booth seat I knew this person had to be Bobby, lifting my gaze up I came face to face with an african american teen, he looked tired like the last few years had put a strain on him. I couldn't believe I was finally face to face with Bobby after hearing so little about after his disappearance

'So you are the man I've heard so much about' he exclaimed

'We finally meet, I've heard so little about you Bobby'

'I've been keeping a low profile if that's what you mean' Bobby sighed deeply. 'Zach has had much to say about you'

'I hope it's been positive' Zach must have filled him in what I've been doing around Liberty

'From what I've been told is that you been causing trouble at Liberty and putting my name about the school again'

'It's not what you think Bobby' I tried to explain

'No it's ok Zach has filled me in' he interjected, stopping me from my rambling. 'You're just finishing off what I started a few years ago'

'What you started?' I questioned

'A witch hunt against that prick Bryce Walker'

'I wouldn't say it's that at all, more like gathering information if he found himself in front of a courtroom one day'

'Call it what you want Mason it's still the same thing'

'Then why did you just leave town one day and vanished off the face of the world Bobby? Why not finish what you claim to have started and put Bryce in prison''

'From what I've been told you been trying to find out what happened that day and you have been doing your research'

'Well you didn't leave much clues to find you, I had little to go off'

'No matter how hard I keep on trying to leave this town something keeps pulling me back to it'

'It's your sense of duty that's calling you back here Bobby' I proclaimed. 'You clearly have some information of your own that you have detained so help me with it'

'Help you how exactly?'

'We both clearly want the same thing and that is bringing justice to all these girls'

'Can I ask why you care so much Mason? I've got my own motives but what's yours'

'My girlfriend was raped by him at a house party she had thrown when she passed out and my cousin was raped when she attended his house party at the start of the school year. I almost lost Hannah when she attempted suicide'

'I'm sorry that your close ones were hurt by Bryce in the cruelest of ways'

'May I ask what are your motives for wanting to take him down Bobby'

'It's a long story Mason and I don't want to trouble you with it'

'There is so much mystery surrounding your disappearance and nobody knows what happened. You can trust me with what happened' I exclaimed. 'I thought we were allies after all'

'We are Mason but the truth what happened that day on the baseball field will shock you'

'Nothing can shock me now after the countless stories I've heard over the past few months'

'Well prepare yourself because you won't be able to handle mine' Bobby sighed deeply, taking a quick sip of his drink that had just arrived in front of him. 'It was just a normal day and a rivalry match was going on between Hillcrest and Liberty'

'I spoke to some eyewitness about that day and you just came out of nowhere and confronted Bryce'

'Bryce was the kind of jock that was on every team at school and wound up everyone and I was just on the basketball team' he informed me. 'But jocks are jocks and we just mingle every now and again but he crossed a line'

'I don't understand what you mean?'

'I wanted to kill him on that baseball field when I found out what he had done to my little sister'

'So that's why you confronted him out of the blue'

'There are somethings that I regret doing at the time and should have handled it a bit more differently but I don't regret starting that brawl on the pitch'

'You were the one to start that massive fight Bobby'

'Things spilled over and everyone had a hard time keeping me and Bryce apart, I swung at Bryce and his friends got involved and before you know it the Hillcrest boys got involved and it was one big punch up on the field'

'Then what happened' I asked, intrigued to know more after I only had seen pictures and videos

'I was escorted away from the baseball field by Coach Patrick to the clubhouse, if I knew who was going to be there then I wouldn't have went so easily'

'Who was there Bobby? I thought everyone was still on the pitch'

'Both teams were sent back to their locker rooms still everything had calmed down but the Liberty boys went wandering around the school all except Bryce and Monty'

'Were they the reasons you went missing from Liberty'

'I didn't go missing Mason I just didn't tell anyone I was leaving the town after what happened, I felt ashamed that it did and I couldn't do anything to stop it'

There was a pain in Bobby's eyes that cut deep inside of him, something awful must have happened to him when he was alone in the clubhouse with Bryce and Monty. The perfect opportunity for them to take their revenge for Bobby's outburst

'Bryce and Monty held me down to the ground and put me in some restraints. I don't know how they did it but they got my sister to the clubhouse, Bryce raped her again in front of my very own eyes'

'I'm so sorry that you had to witness that Bobby'

'It's one thing watching on helplessly your sister being raped but I was raped as well that night by Monty'

'What!'

'They wanted to make sure that I never piped up what had happened to my sister so they sodomized me, repeatedly saying it would happen again if I didn't step in line with them' he explained. 'It was then that I realised my life wasn't safe anymore in Crestmont'

'How is your sister? I asked, being raped once is bad enough but twice from Bryce with him taking joy from it doing in front of Bobby's eyes

'She's dead'

I was speechless to say the least, A whole lot had happened to Bobby and his sister that no one knew for his reason to leave this town so quietly that they did

'My sister Michaela commuted suicide not long after we both had been assult in the clubhouse, it's been just over a year since her passing'

'This is personal for you Bobby to seek justice for your sister'

'I mean I feel bad for the others out there but I've lost my sister and there's no getting her back, Bryce broke her in so many different ways and I just want to kill him'

'We'll get justice for Michaela one day Bobby and for the rest as well, mark my words brother'

He nodded his head whilst the topic of conversation changed about Coach Patrick, Bobby told me all about his experience with his previous mentor and the downturn of their relationship. He warned me that Coach Patrick wasn't afraid to drop people at a moment's notice if they were of no use to him anymore and to watch myself around him, the next few days worth of practise should be interesting with Coach Patrick taking the lead instead of my usual routine with my boxing coaches….


End file.
